Advice Needed: 24yo with start-up experience, no degree. Here's my story:

Greetings, Monkeys

My background:

**- Mid 20s
- WSO Lurker (You guys are simply amazing. So much to read and learn here.)
- IB Diploma
- Army (2.5 years, NCO)
- Chose not to go to university
- Joined a startup. Did equity research and technical analysis research (recommended trading ideas)
- Co-Founded Startup #2 and did sales for a consulting firm (they taught technical analysis, which I learnt a little, too, and recommended more trades to their trading fellas/students)
- Worked essentially for free, because #loyalty but it didn't reward me. I have been on survival mode for 6 years. It's tiring. But I learnt a lot.

*Above companies are small men teams (less than 10)
- Each are sub-300k in valuation, but I believe I have learnt some soft and hard skills as most of the funds/sales were brought in by me and my team that I trained. After a while, my dumbass realized that the direction of the above companies were not to my liking, and that the culture was simply not for me. I was a young sucker to the "Business Leader/Forbes 30 Under 30 Nominee/Topclass Cunt"

What's To Come:

• Stay in Singapore, with an internship doing portfolio construction & management at a boutique/startup
  (My friends do not realize that they are God's gift to me, and I am lucky to be good at making friends)
• Fly back home to a university in Hong Kong (CUHK)
  (I'm a citizen of SG and a PR of HK, so studying in both are options, however, I prefer HK because my father isn't doing too well health wise and I've spent too much time away. I'm a momma's boy.)
• Networking my ass off while working at a bar + studying and interning at any valuable place.
• Start (or try) for a BO role and then working from bottom up/lateraling into FO (is this possible?)

Concerns:

• I feel lost as fuck. Did I waste 4 years of my life? Would university have given me a comparable experience?
• I'm 24. By the time I'm done I'll be considered a 28yo Fresh Grad with work experience. It worries me.
• My work experience. Does it add any value on paper?
• Is it advisable to get a BO job at a top tier bank and then work my way up?
  (If I'm lucky enough to get it through a friend)
• The way I see it, FO jobs are highly unrealistic (nothing is impossible but 99.9%) - What are my options?
• I feel that AM is what I digest easiest, but I'd like to know what else can fit me.

To end it off,

I want to dive into this world of challenges and meet all the amazing people and deconstruct/simplify the world of business and finance. I just want to find out how everything works, learn, do it better, and then educate/help anyone else. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I believe that I'm not the only one.

I welcome all challenges, monkey shit, and critiques.
I will answer any and all of your questions.
Be as harsh as you can. My ass is ready.

On another note, I would like to thank you all for reading this and in advance for replying. I'll be happy to pour any of you a drink when I'm back working at Lan Kwai, or we can hit the gym for a brolift. (Powerlifting tips also welcome, too, might be competing next year)

I'd love to hear any and all of your experiences as well. I can't thank this community enough. I will do my best to contribute in the future when I have more under my belt.

Thank You.