There are many routes into tech and a degree is one of them. It's not the only one. There are lots of successful people in tech who don't have a degree blob waver
The theory is important, so if you find your way into tech without a degree, you need to be aware of the need to fill in some knowledge gaps.
There is no end to the learning, so having a growth mindset is crucial. Once you are doing tech, most interviews are focussed on experience rather than degrees, but you may find it harder to get that first role.