Ask HN: What would you tell your 16-year-old self?

High school matters, to the extent that your performance determines which university you get slotted into. Develop an attitude (as I did) and that guarantees you won't go to MIT. Were I to do it over again, I'd swallow the BS they lavished on us in high school for a shot at Tech. So start working now. All-in. Don't get in the habit of coasting - that's a very hard habit to break.

You have the luxury now of being able to think high risk / high reward. The worst thing you can do is to start a family before you are ready. Security becomes Job One then, which means low risk / low reward.

Surround yourself with the smartest people you can find. Don't be an eagle in a cube farm of turkeys. That's the shortest route to stagnation I can think of (though you'll be well paid).

I suggested the mystery method because it answers each of those questions in extreme detail. It explains what women find attractive in men, it explains the stages of a relationship, and it explains all things you shouldn't do or say when you're courting a woman.

The "no friends" part of my social problem was fixed by getting banned from world of warcraft, which is why I didn't suggest other reading for how to make friends.

Some of the most valuable knowledge you'll ever acquire is knowledge of how that black box works.

Are you feeling distracted studying french? Is it because you hate french or because you skipped breakfast?

Once you're able to link up cause and effect, you can take action to minimize things you want less of, and maximize things your want more of.

How do you know what you want? It takes time, and you have to fumble around. I've found that a lot of people who take a super-narrow path in and after college tend to look up one day and find that they're in a place they never wanted to go.

BTW, I would personally suggest that you ignore anybody here who's giving you answers about investing or going to elite schools, etc. Those are means to an end. And it may not be the end you want.

The only important life goals for you are the ones you come up with. And you get to change your mind. :)

ps. Who am I? I'm in my mid 30's. Co-founder of a successful software business (not a funded startup). And I've fumbled around a lot. The one thing that's saved me time and time again has been a modicum of self-knowledge and a willingness to jump in and learn new things, many times outside my comfort zone.

pps. Don't forget to enjoy your life. Be kind to yourself.

What I'd tell myself at 16: Self, when, in 1993 you get to 22, take that job in California.