You Don’t Have to Follow Life’s Tutorial
On skipping the 18-year tutorial, owning your time, and being ready to walk away.
I’ve always been fascinated by why humans decided we need an 18-year tutorial before we’re allowed to start taking life seriously.
Other creatures are born with instincts that let them navigate the world immediately. Humans, meanwhile, spend nearly two decades being told they’re too young, too inexperienced, or simply not ready.
I’ve always thought this was stupid.
I taught myself to code at 13, started working at 15, and had already worked for 3 companies before turning 18. By 18, I had earned my senior title as a software engineer.
None of this happened because someone gave me permission.
As a kid, I couldn’t stand the idea of spending my childhood sitting in classrooms, waiting for someone to decide I was finally old enough to do something meaningful.
I was a pretty rebellious kid. At 13, I skipped school for an entire year until I was caught, pocketed the money my parents gave me for private classes to fund my days out, and even convinced 3 other kids to join me.
And this wasn’t just about school. I’ve never liked being told what to do.
From around 11 until 18, during summer breaks, I’d deliberately stay awake until 7–9 AM, then sleep until 6–7 PM. This way, I’d skip most of the day when my parents were around and have the entire night to myself, unsupervised.
I’d spend those nights watching YouTube, reading, and learning whatever interested me, without anyone telling me what I should or shouldn’t be spending my time on.
I didn’t want to wait two decades for the tutorial to finish.
I wanted to play the actual game.
Who decided how fast you’re allowed to grow?
There’s this strange timeline people seem to follow without ever questioning it.
You graduate at 22. Become a senior at 28–30. Maybe start a company at 35. Become financially independent at 50. And finally, you’re allowed to retire at 65.
Who the fuck decided any of this?
Your age shouldn’t be the reason you don’t even try.
Stop asking, “When will I be ready?” Start asking, “How can I become ready?” Then figure out an aggressive route to get there.
Expose yourself to difficult problems, learn from people much better than you, and take on responsibilities that force you to grow.
Experience isn’t just time spent doing something. It’s what you actually did with that time.
Your time is your most valuable asset
I’ve always been anxious about time passing. Still am today. Not about getting older, but about wasting years somewhere I’m not growing.
Every 3 months, I deeply evaluate where I am. Am I learning? Building valuable relationships? Taking ownership of important work? Is this the highest ROI I could be getting on my time?
If the answer is consistently no, I start looking elsewhere. And I think you should too.
Don’t confuse years of employment with years of growth.
Nobody is coming to give you opportunities
Stop waiting for someone to recognize your potential. Everyone is busy with their own lives and ambitions.
Want to grow? Make yourself valuable. Understand the business, take ownership of important problems, and become someone people can trust to get things done.
And if your company consistently refuses to give you room to grow, despite proving you’re capable of more?
Go somewhere that will!
You don’t owe anyone years of your life waiting for an opportunity that might never come.
Always be prepared to survive, and thrive, alone
Here’s another harsh truth I’ve learned.
People change. Companies change. Priorities change.
One day you’re important to them. Tomorrow, you’re nothing to them. And that’s life.
People are naturally self-interested. We spend time around people who make us feel good, put effort into being liked, and chase opportunities that improve our lives.
That doesn’t mean everyone is malicious. But you should never build your entire future around someone else’s continued support.
Never let one person or company become the only reason you can keep going. Always have a plan B and C.
Build skills and relationships outside your company. Save and invest your money. Make yourself employable, even when you’re happily employed.
I wrote an open-source handbook about financial independence, investing, and preparing for market uncertainty.
One of its central ideas was simple: you should be mentally and financially prepared to lose your job tomorrow.
Not because you expect it, but because being prepared means you can walk away, take risks, and pursue opportunities without your livelihood depending on someone else’s approval.
Ironically, I think this makes you a better employee, too.
When you’re afraid of losing your job, you naturally become more passive. You hesitate to challenge decisions, disagree with your manager, or speak up when something is stupid. You’re constantly calculating whether saying what you actually think is worth the risk.
Financial security removes much of that fear.
You can let your guard down, be opinionated, and actually contribute your perspective rather than just agreeing with everyone.
Good leaders also want that. Nobody benefits from a room full of people who are too afraid to disagree.
Financial independence, to me, was never really about retiring early. It’s about having control over my time, decisions, and direction.
There’s nothing wrong with taking the traditional path if that’s genuinely what you want. Just make sure it’s a path you chose, not one you followed because everyone else did.
You lead and control your growth. Don’t let anyone else decide how fast you’re allowed to grow.
You don’t have to finish life’s tutorial before you start living the life you want.