IMO it depends to what one means by "made it".

switch(made_id) {
case "is a developer" -> "when one develops a software product, regardless of whether for work or personal purposes";

case "got a dev job" -> "when one gets a dev job";

case "can be called a dev" -> "when job title has .*developer.* in it";

case "is a good dev" -> "when job title has .*senior developer.* in it";
}

For me personally it means getting a SW development job that pays my bills and keeps growing my savings account. Pretty much like @AlmondSauce said it.

I for one iterated through all the cases above and each time I achieved the goal I felt like I "made it".

Appetite comes with eating