Exactly. For the past decade, we have been in a declining economy with no upward mobility for individuals.
So anyone who has money now already has an existing network of suppliers to keep their business running smoothly. They don't need new suppliers.
Those who have money by now don't need your expertise. If you don't have connections by now, you have no chance.
The game of capitalism is over and the results are in. If you're a billionaire, congrats, you won the game!
If you don't have your own successful business, you lost the game!
The existing big players have all the customers. But the reason for that in this niche is the clients are hospitals, clinics etc., who are not always willing to search for better and affordable alternatives than what everyone around them is using.
That's the reality in every industry right now. The financial structures and power structures have interlocked. Companies will use inferior products because their business relationships are not based on merit but on personal connections between company directors.
Companies everywhere are using inferior products and inferior processes. It's obvious even in academia. Social networking is the only force which drives business nowadays. Social networks are not based on skills, they're based on kin selection. If you want to get business from psychopaths, you need to be a psychopath (or act like one).
Faking psychopathy worked for me. My bosses didn't like me for years when I was a nice guy trying to make things better, never promoted me then one day I blew up and quit the company in a really bad way which probably scared the crap out of them, then they ended up indirectly helping me with my next venture. Maybe they did it out of fear but it worked.
It's not about value creation, it's about being an asshole. Assholes respect assholes.
It sounds like you are talking about the present as being the peak of "it's who you know". But has this ever not been true? I feel like what you are describing could easily apply to hundreds if not thousands of years of business history (admittedly not necessarily across all cultures).
In my observations of cutthroat corporate politics, I’ve seen that assholes have do have real powers, but as with many strong emotional features it leaves one more vulnerable to manipulation.
Real assholes are real predicable, that works out ok if you are already in a position of power or are up against others not trying to play the game, but not if you are trying to maintain or gain on other psychopath types.
The game of capitalism is over and the results are in. If you're a billionaire, congrats, you won the game! If you don't have your own successful business, you lost the game!