For every thousand startups struggling for traction and to get market/fit, there's the one founder with the right connections that will get there faster and wit

For every thousand startups struggling for traction and to get market/fit, there's the one founder with the right connections that will get there faster and with more funding because they have the right network and connections to accelerate product/market fit, fund raising, and attracting the right team. Not having the right network isn't a guarantee of failure by any means, but it certainly isn't as optimal has having a network with people in the right places. Having the right network and connections trumps almost everything else, in venture-backed startup world that is.