The First $10k is the Most Important

100% agree. During high school, I stumbled upon a bug bounty by pure chance, landing a nice fat $50k, with which I bought my own laptop, paid for uni, and most importantly, removed all the stress/pressure for having to get a scholarship. Having those on my CV made getting internships really easy, which in turn also made getting a job much easier. Beyond just money, I was also able to enjoy life, play sports, travel, etc. all of which were unimaginable growing up in a lower/middle class family where even food prices were a concern.

Thought they said it was the first million.

True.