I live outside SV, and this article was a good read about how people's connections come into play when their startups take off. I don't think I will ever move to the valley, but that's part of what I love about HN. It seems that if I make something that starts to take off, I can reach out to this community and find someone with the expertise to guide me through the next steps.
If you're willing to work hard, be honest, and ask the right questions, it seems there are many very capable people here who want to help.
It's been like that for some time now. It's definitely one of the main motivators and reasons for living and working in Silicon Valley. As nice as it is to work wherever, it's not quite the same as going to a local pub and running into a who's who among startups. Pretty exciting stuff.
If you're willing to work hard, be honest, and ask the right questions, it seems there are many very capable people here who want to help.