Ask HN: What are fastest paths to financial success?

> At Digg, one mentor gave me the savvy advice that the fastest path to financial success was working for four years at three different just-about-to-IPO companies. A surefire way to retire by forty. (This is, for the record, pretty good advice.)

https://lethain.com/forty-year-career/

What are other fastest paths to financial success? Currently am a software engineer, so looking for advice in this career choice.