To me, this is not a lesson about speed, but rather a lesson about "compound interest". He was able to compound all his learnings from the first go round in to

To me, this is not a lesson about speed, but rather a lesson about "compound interest". He was able to compound all his learnings from the first go round in to the second. That doesn't always mean it will go faster, but it does usually mean you don't make the same mistakes as the first time (which can result in speed). I find this notion of compounding to be much more useful in life than just in terms of finance and interest. Starting early, or doing something more, yields a compound benefit down the road. You get better at a thing faster, which compounds and lets you get better still. It's how expertise is realized and why there will never be equal outcomes between different people with different levels of motivation and persistence.