Find someone ten years ahead of you and ask good questions. It’s the fastest shortcut that isn’t cheating.

Somebody further along has already paid for mistakes you have not made yet, and most of them will hand over what they learned if you ask properly. Good questions are specific and answerable. Asking how to succeed gets you nothing; asking what they would skip if they started over gets you something you can use.

Think of one person a decade ahead in a direction you care about. Send a short message with one precise question. If they answer, follow up once with what you did about it.