> Personally, I feel like I sold my teenage years as a price for my edge in tech.

Yes, this. That's how I got here, too. And have the same ruminations from time to time.

Sold them? What do you regret? As far as I can tell, spending my teen years learning stuff was the right move.

Short of becoming a professional sportsman, which was never on the table for me, I don't see anything that I could have now if I had acted differently.

I agree. I learned a bunch of tech and then used it to socialize, make friends, meet women, etc. I don't feel I missed out on either the teenage part or the learning part.