EVE Fiction

I've returned to New Eden after a long absence and am really wanting to take the story and the my character seriously this time around. After reading a great article about "reinventing yourself" and seeing the game with fresh eyes, I'm starting first and foremost with my pilot.

What I'm having a hard time locating is what makes an average individual a candidate to become a Capsuleer. I know there's supposed to be genetic predisposition, but I've always been under the impression that Capsuleers themselves are basically the elite of the elite in New Eden, in no small part due to the immense wealth of Isk and their mastery of ships through their control interfaces.

Is that genetic predisposition the only thing required to become a Capsuleer? Is there funding required, sponsorship? Would the faction government need to deem you "worthy" before extending the opportunity? I'm especially interested in the Minmatar aspect of this, but the rest is just as important to me.