Build relationships, relationships and relationships .. with your customers. Definition of "customers" vary from phase to phase of the startup. If you want to create awareness through media, get to know all the people (customer) who write about social dating. Later if you intend to seek funding, map that space and get to know investors ... so on and so forth. It is always best to build relationships with people when you dont seek something ...

A career change, imo, would be anything that requires a significant amount of 'new' skills though this piece is all about how we should be less dependent on professional occupation

Neat post!

I so agree to that - we respond to the smallest of small bloggers for a good or bad post. No discrimination! Experiencing Backtype with this too.....

or sign up on CrossLoop and be your own startup, if you are an IT Admin, helpdesk guy :)

Typepad for business and Vox for personal

Co.comments and Disqus where applicable are good

LinkedIn started with "friends of the company" of the company too - key is to integrate a "network effect" and viral loops in the service