insomniasexx did it. She bootstrapped herself into web dev, then started solving a problem that she found obsessive. IMO half of what you are buying is the discipline that financial obligation brings. Do you have anything like classmates in Lambda School? Building connections is a big part of the career track as you know. You can definitely get into the industry without a paid coding camp. You just need to code like crazy.
It's not even the financial obligation that would be committing me. In order of importance/utility to me, it's the schedule and structure primarily, then the sunk financial cost, then the faculty support, and then the credential. When I think on my own about it, I convince myself that a bootcamp is the way to go. When I talk about it with people, especially experienced folks, I start to think that self-starting is the way to go. Would hiring managers really be convinced if I told them, "The ~yearlong gap in relevant work experience is because I taught myself" and then coded them FizzBang?