Show HN: I spent 2 years building Tablane as a 17-year-old

> That sounds like a terrible idea, to be fair. (And you don't mean University of Waterloo in Canada?). Isn't University free in Germany?

U of Waterloo co-op program is basically a guaranteed FAANG tier job on graduation if you have any talent, which Marcus obviously has a great deal of. I have never, not once, regretted hiring a Waterloo CS grad. They have an exceptional program.

I got my first programming job at 19 (I started interviewing at 18), and the job description required at least 3 years of experience. I got an interview loop on the basis of sharing the source for some hobby programming I did. From there it was mine to lose. You have a hobby program that is impressing a number of industry professionals already, so if you want to pursue that route I assure you that with perseverance you will get a fulltime position. Whether or not it's wise for you to do so I prefer not to advise you on. I can only say that I "withdrew" from college to work and haven't regretted it since. But those were different times and different circumstances so I have no idea if that's a good idea or not now. And for what it's worth I also have a very high opinion of the mathematically rigorous approach to CS that at least used to be de rigueur at continental universities. So if those programs are still as good as they used to be you might want to consider that too.

With regard to getting that first job: unless you do a co-op program like Waterloo, there is basically no way to get an intro job without not actually meeting the experience requirements. You never see listings saying "No experience necessary!"

This is very professional looking code, congratulations!

I had a nontraditional background, and was labeled as a gifted kid. At your age, my dad and I were trying to get a software company off the ground, based around products I had created. That was a mixed experience - I learned a lot from it, but it was pretty stressful. At age 22 I decided to go to grad school (not having gotten my undergrad degree btw) and that turned out to be the right decision.

I'm not saying what to do, that's your decision. But I do very strongly recommend watching Bryan Cantrill's talk "Coming of Age"[1]. It goes into considerable detail about the different strengths and weaknesses people have at different ages, and how to make the best of that.

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzdVSMRu16g

Another one here :) I got really into programing and sysadmin because of Minecraft, I had dabbled before but running a server was a great way to learn a lot of things in a fun way. Linux, networking, security, Web dev, then writing plugins for for hMod/bukkit some java, CI/CD, and a door into the world of open-source. I also met many knowledgeable people through the game that helped me out a lot.

I ended up starting to work in software for cash before I finished high school, and I'm still a dev that loves the stuff, 13 years later. Makes me happy to see so many people with a similar story.

That said, I did eventually go to college and I don't regret a thing. I met so many people, and did so many things I wouldn't have done otherwise, and it made me a better professional. The corporate world can be very oppressing and unforgiving. I wouldn't miss university, having the chance, and you can still freelance while you're there too!

Given the market and his skills, college will never come. He’ll just get into and immersed in the industry and forget about College. The idea of college will only hit later.

Realistically, however, college is only important if you are planning to leave your own country; or get involved in a very bureaucratic/hierarchical company. Since he is from Germany (which has a quite powerful passport), college will only be important if he wants to immigrate later to the US.