Social Capital
your net worth isn't just money — it's who picks up when you call
Grounded in the research on Wikipedia: Social capital (Pierre Bourdieu, James Coleman, Robert Putnam)
what it actually is
Social capital is the value locked inside your relationships — the favors, intros, trust, and info you can actually pull on. It's not your follower count or how many people know your name. It's resources that live in the bonds between you and others, and you only access them through the relationship. Burn the relationship, the capital evaporates. It's an asset that only exists while the connection is alive.
the origin
Three people built the modern version. Pierre Bourdieu (1986) framed it as a resource you accumulate through your network, like money or credentials. James Coleman (1988) showed how it sits in relationships and powers things money can't buy. Robert Putnam's 'Bowling Alone' (2000) popularized it and split it: bonding capital (your tight inner circle) versus bridging capital (links across different groups). Bridging is the rarer, higher-leverage kind.