You just don't luck into things as much as you'd like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it's friendships or opportunities.

The remark pushes back against the comforting idea that success is mostly accidental. By insisting that people rarely “luck into” what matters, it reframes achievement as cumulative: relationships, reputations, and openings are made through repeated choices—showing up, following through, and investing in others over time. The pairing of “friendships” with “opportunities” is significant: it suggests that personal and professional life run on the same moral economy of trust and steady effort. The quote also carries a practical, almost parental admonition—tempering entitlement and impatience by emphasizing process, not sudden windfalls.