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+---
+visibility: public-edit
+---
+
+# how you introduce yourself
+
+## what happened
+
+if saying "I'm in high school" would cause people to pattern-match you into "typical HS kid" and that doesn't represent you accurately, you can just lead with what you do. "I'm a builder working on X" is more accurate than a label that triggers wrong assumptions.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+labels are shortcuts for other people's brains. when you say "i'm a high school student," most adults at tech events immediately lower their expectations and shift into mentor mode. if that's not the dynamic you want, the label is working against you — not because it's false, but because it's misleading.
+
+## the fix
+
+not about hiding anything — it's about not misleading. lead with what you do, not what category you fit into. "i'm building an AI tool for X" starts a different conversation than "i'm in high school and interested in AI." same person, different frame.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[memorize-one-liner]] — same concept applied to your product
+- [[get-contacts-immediately]] — the intro opens the door to the exchange
+- [[networking-as-extraction]] — frame yourself as a contributor, not an asker
+- [[stay-on-admins-good-side]] — managing how people perceive you
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