The annoying power of prestige

What is the value of prestige?

That startup that's A16z backed...

That cofounder who graduated from Harvard...

That customer list that includes Apple, Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI...

You'll hear a lot of gruff in online spaces about how these credibility markers don't matter.

How "regular people" without fancy titles or brand names can succeed

How some famous self-made CEOs will scoff at shiny resumes

How you don't need:

An MBA, a PhD, software engineering skills, a license, or a certification.

And sometimes, this is true.

However-

Make no mistake:

Prestige makes a HUGE difference;

Especially in startup world.

Rather than getting upset about that,

(Because let's face it - sometimes it can be really upsetting,)

It helps to understand why,

Because knowing why also helps us figure out how to get around it.

In a world absent of great information,

Where the future is particularly fuzzy,

(Aka. early-stage startups)

Prestige is a shortcut.

It's something observable that indicates a statistically higher likelihood of success.

If you

• Went to Harvard

• Won killer customers

• Convinced a top-tier VC to back you

Then chances are, you're a good startup bet because:

• It'll be easier for you to find high-value partnerships

• It'll be easier for you to find more customers

• It'll be easier for you to attract star talent

• It'll be easier for you to win.

But let's say you don't have that prestige.

What do you do?

The secret lies in the factor that made the allure of the prestige so irresistible:

Scarcity of information.

Prestige is valuable if you're competing in a market of unknowns.

But as soon as you can show RESULTS,

Prestige goes out the window.

• LOIs

• Sales

• Patents

• Customers

• Testimonials

• Impressive reach

• Insane partnerships

If you don't have credibility markers,

BUILD them.

Got prestige?

Don't be afraid to flex it.

Don't?

Then fast-track to results.

And show everyone how much better than that Harvard grad you are.

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