It's easy to get traction if your product is good looking, fits a need, solves a problem, etc.

Really. I make investment decision on what people have built, how good it looks, the UX, the business model and NOT what they've done in the past.

I would take someone with NO experience who made a stunning product over someone who worked for 20 years at five startups but who shows me an ugly product with bad UX, etc.

Build something of value and you'll have TOO MANY angels up in ya business! ya hearD?

It's similar to how it was (and probably still is) for anyone coming out of undergrad in the early 2000s. Every employer seemed to want someone with experience, but how is one to get experience without being employed? The top angels/investors/mentors seem to want entrepreneurs with experience or traction but it's awfully tough to get to that point without a good angel/investor/mentor helping along.

I know this will vary from startup to startup, but how do you know when you have traction?