Yep - network helps you get an interview where you otherwise would be ignored (if you haven't gone to MIT/Stanford/CMU and haven't yet worked at Google/Facebook

Yep - network helps you get an interview where you otherwise would be ignored (if you haven't gone to MIT/Stanford/CMU and haven't yet worked at Google/Facebook/Palantir/YC Startup), but it doesn't get you out of the interview puzzles. Only way to bypass that is to start your own company or know somebody in a powerful position.