>My first major green field project would have turned out a lot worse if I didn't have a network of former coworkers I could ask recommendations from.

That's in line with research by people like Alex Pentland who have identified face-to-face networking as the most important factor that distinguishes high performers from everybody else.

Extremely successful people often have a strong network of peers who they can rapidly bounce ideas off and iterate through new solutions.

The discussion on top performers often seems to have a narcissistic tone and focuses too much on individual aptitude.