[blintson]

Bill Gates was well-connected from the birth. You can't learn to have a rich lawyer as a father.

Microsoft didn't build an OS for IBM. The group that actually built the OS probably turned down IBM's offer because they couldn't get away with what Microsoft did.

There's very little admirable about what Bill Gates did to get where he is, and unless you have connections like him you probably shouldn't try to succeed doing similar things.

And yes, I know "How to Win Friends and Influence People", etc. etc. There are plenty of people who are much, much smarter than Bill Gates who tried to do similar things and failed, or weren't nearly as successful because they weren't born into it.

[qq66]

I know a lot of extremely well-connected people due to a degree program I was in. I, on the other hand, am not so well-connected except to them.

I found that about 2/3 of them were connected through their parents' achievements, and 1/3 of them did it entirely on their own. They relentlessly go to parties, shamelessly buddy up to the highest-status people at the parties, learn golf and go network at the golf course, etc. etc. Some of these people come from truly humble backgrounds and blue-collar families.

There's no reason you can't do the second.