| "extremely connected people who have lots of Proprety (sic) and little Energy/talent." It takes energy and talent to maintain connections. Money also helps [1]. With the exception of perhaps some outliers having a connection does little other than give you an audience and the ear of the person who might be able to do something for you. And in order to maintain that connection you have to be in their face and provide some benefit to them that is tangible. In general. [2]. Let's take an example. You did a favor for Paul Graham in college but haven't spoken to him since then. You will probably get his ear, he will listen to you, but how much more is that connection going to do for you without some other compelling value to Paul to help you (vs. what he has to give up to help you if he needs to get a favor off of someone else). "Paul sign my petition" (ok). "Paul get my son into YC" (hmm.) Connections can also be made with energy. I've done multiple free consulting freebies for various people on the net. Ranging from nobodies to very well respected VC's. The VC's are now connections and in fact have taken the lead (w/o being asked I might mention) in referring paid work to me. I put energy into making that connection [3] and I also have to expend energy to keep in front of these people. If I don't, in 5 years the help I gave them will mean little. Conclusion: Don't generalize with "connections" the way people do with "got lucky". Luck and connections are important and yes they are essential. But they also take energy to maintain as well. (Once again I'm not talking about connections that you might have because your father is super important or you're a Kennedy but achievable connections that are attainable to anyone with energy and talent.) [1] (note all the charity events that allow you to mingle with connected people (say the Obama fundraiser recently in NY with Sarah Jessica Parker which was 40k to attend). [2] (Remembering in college where my father had a connection to someone who had something to do with an Ivy League college. I met with that person who very clearly gave me the idea that my father wasn't important enough to him to do anything to get me into the particular school.) [3] I contacted the VC's with offers of gratis help which they accepted, thanked me for, and at least one wrote an unsolicited testimonial. |
Just as there's money (in the sense of the $1.25 I might spend on a cup of coffee) and then there's generational wealth, the same thing exists for (c|C)onnections.
Having Real Connections doesn't mean that the VC will fund you. That much is true. It does mean that if you get rejected, you get a sit-down explanation of why, and what to do in the future to get funding, and probably an EIR position. If there's another VC who might be interested, you'll get an introduction. That's what having Real Connections buys you. No, you don't get funded if it doesn't make business sense for the firm to fund you, but you get all the assistance (including an EIR gig in which you can learn what is required to be a "real founder") you need toward getting there... and an unending supply of chances.
Without Connections: "We're not interested. Sorry. Our policy is not to discuss our reasons."
With Connections: "We like your proposal, but <A>, <B>, and <C> are our issues with it. We also think you need a couple more years of operational experience. Speaking of which, one of our portfolio companies is looking for a <executive-level role> and would like to have it filled by Friday. Can you interview on Thursday?"
Most people, of course, don't have kind of safety net.
The people in power in society, by and large, don't consider the rest of us to be their social equals. Nobility in the pejorative sense is very much alive in the U.S. If you think otherwise about that set of people, you don't really know them. I do, and they're not nice people and they're not interested in helping out outsiders. They want those doors to stay closed.