The lesson is simple: don’t just dream about success

[rifat28dddd]

I learned that in order to level up my progress, I needed to spend less time with other daydreamers. I needed to find out what really created startup success. Call it the “proximity rule.” If you put yourself near people with successful habits, eventually, you’re going to cultivate success for yourself.

In my early applications for Y Combinator, I spent a lot of time cultivating relationships with people who were well-intentioned and enthusiastic…but ultimately, many of these people were just as clueless as I was.

If you’re already an outsider like I was, you have to expand your circle of influence.

Success tends to leave breadcrumbs. Rather than focusing luxembourg telegram data on networking with other “wantrepreneurs” who are in the same boat, you should get outside your comfort zone. Eventually, you’ll find people with genuinely helpful experience.

While you shouldn’t exclude anyone simply because they’re not as successful as you’d like, you should be proactive about meeting people with different backgrounds and perspectives. Every new person you meet is an opportunity to find the right people for you.

It’s the same approach Jeff Bezos took early in his career when he wanted to start dating. He started attending ballroom dance classes. He wasn’t particularly interested in ballroom dancing—he just wanted to increase the chances he’d meet someone.

After a few years immersed in Silicon Valley, I gained traction by meeting more tech people, attending more events, and building a network of talented people who could teach me things I didn’t know.