As anecdata, my most successful peer from school and college is a guy who didn't finish HS and calling him, at that time, an average talent (even in soft skills

As anecdata, my most successful peer from school and college is a guy who didn't finish HS and calling him, at that time, an average talent (even in soft skills) was sympathetic. He happened to start working in a software company around 1998 doing menial work and today he is a continental sales manager. By the other hand I have several bright and hard working peers that are struggling in life despite having (anachronic) master degrees.