Is it really all about who you know...

[bmlyon]

Hello all,

I keep hearing this old adage that to become extremely successful knowing the right people at the right time is part of the equation. So the question is, is it really all about who you know?

 

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[Aimee]

It's definitely not ALL about who you know - you can know the most accomplished people in the world in your industry but if your idea sucks or you're lazy, you'll get nowhere. Likewise, you can have no connections at all, but if you plug away for long enough and have high standards, you'll stand a much better chance.
Knowing the right people and making the right connections can definitely make things a lot easier, especially at the start when you're trying to build your identity, but I think that a lot of the time people just use the fact that they 'don't have the right connections' as an excuse not to do something. If you have access to the internet, you have millions of resources at your fingertips for free, and as good a chance as anyone to build valuable connections.

 

[socaldude]

My experience has been YES and NO. Particularly NO.

Having connections can get you in touch with the right partners, distributers and employees etc. But if you are sitting in your mom's basement, alone and broke then that does not mean you are doomed to fail.

The solution to having no connections is to be so good you can't be ignored. When you have tons of value(both in a personal sense and a business sense), people come to YOU instead of you coming to people. People call you instead. People want to network with you instead of you wanting to network with them. Distributers call YOU. Investors call YOU.

Create value FIRST on both a personal level and a business level. Money always goes towards value. Is it easy? No. But if it was then everyone would be rich.

The cooperation of people always involves an exchange of value. What value do you have to offer BOTH on a personal level and on a product/service level?

IMO lack of connections and money is just an excuse. Entrepreneurship is more about effort, work, process and sacrifice than it is about money and connections. After all isn't that the biggest barrier to entry? The process? The sacrifice? The effort?

Money is not the problem. Connections is not the problem. YOUR determination and effort is the PROBLEM.