@davidmeltzer: If I want to be somewhere I have never been, I go find someone who is already there. Then I offer value before I ever ask for anything in return. I'd show up four hours a day, every day, just to watch, listen, and learn. Not because my time has no value, but because proximity to the right person multiplies it. You skip years of trial and error when you are willing to serve first. Acceleration comes from humility. Be willing to work two or three jobs if that is what it takes to both live and learn. The shortcut is service.