Time Is The Mechanism

You can demonstrate competence quickly.

Solve the hard problem. Ship the complex project. Show you know your craft.

But credibility requires reliability. And reliability requires time.

Competence is what you can do.

Reliability is what you actually do. Consistently. Over months. Over years.

You say you'll deliver Tuesday. You deliver Tuesday.

You say you'll follow up. You follow up.

Small commitments kept. Again and again.

This is the absurd part.

Everyone wants credibility now. Nobody wants to wait for it.

But credibility is literally "worthy of belief." Belief requires evidence. Evidence requires time.

You can't shortcut it. You can't rush it. You can't fake it.

The only way to build credibility faster is to start earlier.

The waiting isn't a bug. It's the entire mechanism.

Every small commitment kept is a deposit. Every broken promise is a withdrawal. The account opens tomorrow.