For my first proper blog post, I’ve been thinking about how much success depends on access. If everyone had the best resources, coaches, and mentors available to them, I think anyone could succeed. Whether the goal involves money, status, appearance, or a particular skill, having the right support seems to make it possible.

That’s why networking matters to me. The people you know can determine which opportunities you get. Even without those connections at the start, the internet offers a lot: advanced AI models, knowledge you can look up, and communities of people who have already worked through similar problems. I think knowing where to look, combined with the belief that you can do something with what you find, gives you a way into almost any field.

Learning from other people’s mistakes is another part of that. It seems obvious, but I’d rather understand why something failed for someone else than repeat a mistake I could have avoided. People find their own niches in trading, crypto, stocks, dropshipping, and other fields. I’ve found my own space as well.

I know 19-year-olds who already have everything they want, but most of them weren’t overnight successes. The people making serious money have usually spent years figuring out a path that works for them. Having an edge matters, but so does the time spent learning how to use it.

One friend became a multi-millionaire at 18 through NFTs, then moved into another industry where he scaled further. He now lives in Melbourne and has built a solid foundation. Speaking with him recently made me rethink parts of how I approach money and life.

That conversation gave me several things to consider, which I want to work through in the next post.