Connections certainly help but aren't required. You need grit and a solution (or an idea of a solution) that's solving a pain point worth paying to alleviate. I

Connections certainly help but aren't required. You need grit and a solution (or an idea of a solution) that's solving a pain point worth paying to alleviate. Ideally 10x better and cheaper than what's currently in the market. At first, you will be the salesperson and you have to realize that comes with a lot of rejection.