Colin is extremely well known on HN. Famously he was a center of a.... peculiar exchange where his skills were questioned, and he had the comeback of a lifetime: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079

I know what it's like though, I won a big prize in school. Not saying it compares to yours but I stood out too. Didn't really help me become more popular though or boost my self confidence. But it was nice to give a middle finger to all the bullies for once.