Personally I agree with him 100% that brand association can be an imperfect signal and predictor of a person's abilities and future success and that people rely too heavily on association and image instead of tangible accomplishments. However I believe he severely discounts the level of groupthink in our current culture and how prevalent this brand association is in people's minds. Especially in older more traditional businesses these associations still act as a powerfull barrier to entry into most groups. However in a more turbulent startup type environment, hopefully, people put more weight on the creation of real value.