How Relationships Propelled 6 Tech Billionaires to Success

1. Steve Jobs: The Power of Shooting Your Shot

Way before Steve Jobs was synonymous with Apple, he was a curious 12-year-old boy trying to build a frequency counter for a school project. The only problem was he was missing many of the parts. Instead of looking for places to purchase them, Jobs took the bold approach of looking up Bill Hewlett (Hewlett-Packard's (HP) co-founder) in the phone book to give him a ring. Surprisingly, Hewlett picked up. While initially amused by the request, Hewlett actually decided to not only give him the parts, but offer Jobs an internship at HP.

Fantastic outcome, right? Well it gets even more interesting—when Jobs became friends with Steve Wozniak. The two bonded at HP and would later go on to co-found Apple together.

buildbetter Takeaway: Never shy away from shooting your shot. Reaching out, no matter how audacious it might seem, can be the key to unlocking unseen doors. Curiosity and initiative can lead to game-changing connections and opportunities. Whether you're taking part in NYC Tech week or just focused on building better connections, embrace every chance to learn, connect, and grow. Sometimes, all it takes is a phone call!

2. Whitney Wolfe Herd: The Power of Purposeful Partnerships

The tech realm is rife with stories of innovation, but few are as empowering and transformative as Whitney Wolfe Herd's journey with Bumble. Whitney started out co-founding Tinder. However a few years after its inception, left after filing a lawsuit against the company for sexual harassment. Many would have opted for a quieter path after this challenging experience, but not Wolfe.

Instead, she envisioned a platform amplifying women's voices in the digital conversation space. While working on this she was introduced to Andrey Andreev, the powerhouse behind the prominent dating app, Badoo. After seeing Wolfe's passion and potential, the two came up with a slight pivot to the idea. A dating app where women take the lead. Andreev agreed to back the venture and the result was Bumble—a dating and social networking platform that has revolutionized digital interactions, championing respect, equality, and empowerment.

buildbetter Takeaway: Ventures are not just built on ideas but on relationships. The right connection, mentorship, or partnership can be the catalyst that takes a vision from concept to global phenomenon. Remember, your next collaboration could be a conversation away. Foster relationships, be open to feedback, and never underestimate the power of a shared vision.

3. Elon Musk: The Importance of Proactive Networking

We often give most, if not all, credit to Elon Musk for the ventures he starts. Be it Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and more, we view Elon as the sole mastermind behind them. But just like everyone else, Elon isn't born an expert in various industries. He builds the necessary skill sets over time. When starting SpaceX, Elon was no rocket scientist. But with his grand vision to make space travel accessible and affordable, he got to work on learning.

At first, he dove headfirst into textbooks, famously self-studying rocket science to a point where he could discuss intricate details of spacecraft design and propulsion. Knowing this wasn't enough, he began to reach out to experts in the field. Among the experts he connected with was Tom Mueller, a propulsion maestro who would become a founding employee at SpaceX. Others like Jim Cantrell and Chris Thompson were also part of this early knowledge circle, brought about by Elon's proactive networking. With this group's expertise, SpaceX developed its groundbreaking engines, reusable rockets, and more.

buildbetter Takeaway: Be insanely curious, yes, but also recognize when you need to tap into expertise beyond your own. Whether you're sending people to space or launching a startup, seek out those who have walked the path, made the mistakes, and learned the lessons. Your network isn't just about quantity; it's about quality and intent. Aim to create a circle that complements, challenges, and elevates you.

4. Bill Gates: Leveraging Extended Networks

In co-founding and building Microsoft, one of the most influential tech companies in history, Bill Gates showed his perseverance had no bounds. However, that didn't mean he did it all on his own. In fact, one of the most important deals in the history of Microsoft was a result of leveraging extended networks.

Back in the early days of Microsoft, while it was still making a name for itself, IBM was the big tech company on the block. It was around that time IBM was searching for an operating system for their upcoming IBM PC. It just so happened that an unlikely connection linked Gates to IBM. Mary Maxwell Gates, Bill's mother, was serving alongside John Opel, IBM's chairman, on the national board of the United Way charity. During one of their interactions, Mary spoke of her son's software company. While the depth of this conversation's impact remains a point of debate, its ripple effect was undeniable. This personal connection, coupled with Microsoft's emerging reputation, paved the way for IBM to go to Microsoft for an operating system. A move that turbocharged Microsoft's trajectory in the tech sphere.

buildbetter Takeaway: Connections don't always have to come from offices and boardrooms. Sometimes it’s the BBQs and birthday parties where valuable relationships can be made. The art lies in authentically leveraging these connections, always being prepared to offer genuine value, and remaining open to serendipitous opportunities. Remember, your next big break might not just be in your contacts list but might be in your friend's or family's. So make sure to create, nurture, and value relationships in all walks of life.

5. Marc Benioff: The Transformative Power of Mentorship

Marc Benioff is the visionary behind the cloud revolution and the birth of Salesforce. However, the journey to where he is today is rooted in personal connections and mentorship. Before even dreaming of Salesforce, Benioff clocked in over a decade at Oracle, navigating the intricacies of enterprise software. Benioff had a close relationship with Larry Ellison, Oracle's co-founder.

Beyond being just a boss, Ellison became Benioff's mentor, guiding force, and a significant influence. They formed a bond grounded in mutual respect, learning, and the shared enthusiasm of technology's potential.

When Benioff was feeling run down, he asked to take a sabbatical—to which Ellison wholeheartedly championed, seeing the rejuvenating potential such breaks can offer. Traveling, reflecting, and notably, a trip to India led Benioff to envision a new-age enterprise software world which would later become Salesforce. When Salesforce began taking form, Ellison was right there, not just with sage advice, but with tangible investment. (An interesting dynamic considering Salesforce's cloud-based CRM potentially rivaled Oracle's offerings.)

buildbetter Takeaway: Never underestimate the power of genuine industry relationships, even those teetering on the edge of competition. Connections, when built on trust, mentorship, and mutual growth, can be game-changers. Remember, your next game-changing idea might be just one mentor away. Seek guidance, value relationships, and always be ready for innovation.

6. Reid Hoffman: Stacking Your Inner Circle

If you're not familiar with Reid Hoffman, you should be. He's the co-founder and mastermind behind the world's most known professional networking platform: LinkedIn. But before his time at LinkedIn, he was on the founding board of PayPal. This role gave much more than just the ability to learn to grow a startup. It gave direct access to the brilliant minds working there. This group was so impressive in what they went on to start, fund, or lead, that they were given the nickname the "PayPal Mafia."

To name a few:

• Peter Thiel - Co-founded PayPal. He later created Clarium Capital, Founders Fund, and became the first outside investor in Facebook.

• Elon Musk - Founded X.com, which later became PayPal after a merger. We all know the rest…

• Max Levchin - Co-founded PayPal. Later, he co-founded Yelp and Affirm.

• Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim - Worked at PayPal. They later co-founded YouTube

Hoffman was able to stack his inner circle with many of them. In turn, he gained:

• Deep integration in the Silicon Valley ecosystem

• Connections as valuable resources in the form of advice, partnerships, or investments while embarking on his LinkedIn journey

Simply put, Reid's inner circle helped arm him with the insights, skills, and network necessary to conceptualize, launch, and scale LinkedIn.

buildbetter Takeaway: Be intentional about who you let into your circle. Seek out those who not only dream big but also drive innovation, challenge the status quo, and uplift those around them. Such a circle isn't just about networking; it's about mutual growth, feedback, and paving the way for groundbreaking collaborations.

It doesn't take too much to build relationships, here's what I'm committing to this week:

• ⚽ Going to the NYCFC vs. Chicago Fire game with friends that just got engaged

• ☕ Grabbing coffee with a friend to hear about their new job

• 🎂Celebrating a friends birthday over dinner

• 👋 Meeting up with a friend to say goodbye before they move to the west coast

What are you committing to this week? Reply to this email!