Connections don't build things

This is a peculiar essay. I think if you're going to debunk an old saying, you first have to have an appreciation for why existed in the first place. What was running through the mind of the person that originally came up with it.<p>So, before I reply to the essay, I'd like to share what I think "it's not what you know, it's who you know" is trying to say. I think similar to the old IBM quote, "nothing happens until a sale is made" – maybe something like "it's pretty hard to do something meaningful on your own."<p>Now, I agree the strongest form of these statement is no longer valid. Before the Internet, someone stranded in the middle of nowhere who knew a lot of math would have no way of knowing about the great areas she could apply her skill. These days that is less true, although I do think that being surrounded by other bright people facing similar problems (as the author is in the case of Harvard and the Theil fellowship) is probably better than just having an Internet connection.<p>For a more personal example, I be willing to bet that the vast majority of people reading this found their current profession via word-of-mouth. A friend, family member, or teacher showed you programming long before you were making connections via open application. (This is almost surely true in for OPs case).<p>Even in the case of open applications, who you know is still very important. Something like 80% of all hires come from networking.<p>So I think the point the author is trying to make is a very limited one: in markets that are dying for talent, talent can sometimes trump connections.<p>(Though with the big caveat that if you have very few connections you would almost certainly earn far more, and do far more good, if you spent some time making connections)<p>On second thought, maybe all the author is trying to say is that once you have connections, it feels like connections don't matter.

Wow, look at all the criticism! I think the OP is making a valid point, and I'd like to throw my $0.02 in support.<p>Look, there are two crowds in Silicon Valley. First are the people who seem to collect connections almost as if it was some sort of competetive sport. They know everyone, they join every social network and have thousands of friends, they go through a full box of business cards in three days, attend every networking event imaginable, entrepreneurship seminars, startup parties, meetups, hackathons, you name it... I admire their social skills, but I'm barely aware of what they actually do outside of growing their networks - all they talk about are the events they've been to and people they've met.<p>The second crowd actually builds things. They are of course doing some networking, but they seem to stick to the essential minimum and don't play the "who's got the fattest rolodex" game. They also seem to somehow know each other, but not the people from the first group :)<p>Of course connections are valuable. But not so much if the only thing you build is your network!

Being someone who has a lot of technical skills, and not a lot of networking skills, I like what this guy is saying. Unfortunately, the reality is if you have lots of technical skills, but you don't know anyone, you get nowhere. If you have no technical skills but have lots of connections, you will still have a successful life in this industry. I can't tell you how many people I've worked with over the years who completely had no idea how to build stuff, despite their 15+ year career in the Enterprise.<p>Personally, if I could trade in all of my technical skills for "hustling" skills, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

You miss the point. It isn't what you know, it's what you do with what you know.<p>Lot's of people knew how to build Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook.<p>Trying to divide knowledge and hustle is a waste of time, you need both to create value.

Connections are like a million other things that aren't shipping- useful, good, but possibly a way to delude yourself into thinking you're being productive when you're ignoring the hard things you should be doing.

The OP is missing the point here, the entire saying rests on the presumption that you have the necessary skill. As another saying goes, "luck favors the prepared mind". Skill and ability are considered prerequisites to creation--mixed with a little serendipity, and you'd be onto something.<p>[1] - the role of luck in scientific discoveries, applicable. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_of_chance_in_scientific_discoveries" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_of_chance_in_scientific_di...</a>

Connections do build things. They build trust when you are seeking investment. They build customer bases when you are new to the game. They build cashflow when you manage to sell to your network. Sure, they don't build the product, but more often than not they define, buy, sell, and invest on it. A business does not hinge on your ability to write code, but on your ability to sell it (or find people to sell it for you (connections)).

Putting this better and more correctly:<p>It's not what you know <i>or</i> who you know. It's what you know <i>and</i> who you know.<p>You can use one to boost the other, too, but both together are best.

I think the examples here are pretty ironic. Facebook hinged on the technical prowess of Mark Zuckerberg? I'm not sure I agree with that; this is not to take anything away of course but I think the ability to build, especially the early version of The Facebook, was fairly minimal and what mattered more was the non-technical side.<p>Why even bother trying to "debunk" a simple piece of folk wisdom? In fact, it's sort of a myopic debunking. No one that accepts the viewpoint expressed by "it's not what you know, it's who you know" seriously thinks knowledge is completely worthless. I just find this hard to take seriously.<p>It seems like a very sophomoric analysis of a folk "truism" that actually does make a lot of sense despite the contradictory refutation here.<p>Now, is it also true that simply building up a lot of connections and not ever doing anything is not going to get you anywhere? Sure, but that is a caricature.<p>Next, we're going to see a big refutation of "Show me who you're friends are and I'll tell you who you are." I'm on pins and needles. :)

This is offtopic. I've noticed several websites with this theme. Is there a standard template available somewhere? I'm referring to the kudos widget, the static left sidebar.

The phrase isn't meant to be taken as a literal declaration, but that connections keep the wheels of progress well-greased.

This thesis is the kind that I might wish was true. And in select cases, survivor bias has and will make it seem to be true for a lucky few. For most of us, even finely honed skills built over decades will have very little consequence unless somebody with a specific need for those skills meets us and hires us. I'm out of stock on clever or inspiring ideas for apps, websites, or revolutions. What I have are keen programming, debugging, and testing skills. In a vacuum, without a job, that's a lot like <i>not</i> having those skills. I wish I had a lot more warm connections than I do, because going through the interview process with new folks over and over is really a slog.