It sounds like it works for those who have some credibility already either from pre-existing connections or an exit. I seriously doubt that Angel List can main

It sounds like it works for those who have some credibility already either from pre-existing connections or an exit. I seriously doubt that Angel List can maintain its sense of community and still be useful to those who don't possess those pre-existing connections/past successes. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. What it does is working for its target market. This may just be a classic example where another company needs to step in and fulfill the needs of those who don't fit the Angel List target market profile. Given the comments here I definitely think there's a market opportunity for catering to those who need intros/connections/mentoring etc but don't have the sort of assets the blog author has (pre-existing connections from earlier startups, Ivy League MBA alumni network, etc).