When you are new, people will see you as unrealized potential. They haven’t seen your work, so they will make decisions based on signals. With the right introductions, or the right work samples, or the right publicity, they may be willing to give you a shot—maybe even to make a bigger bet on you as you debut. 

One takeaway is to make the most of your potential, to never start until you find the right situation to make a debut. The problem with this is there are a lot of factors out of your control—such as letting gatekeepers decide if they should support you. You can spend years doing this, which adds up to years of not focusing on your work.

Another takeaway is to find a different frame for your potential, which is that you realize it when you do the work. Be flexible, and find acceptable situations to demonstrate what you can deliver to people.

You can only sell potential once. You can sell good work many times.