5 Ways to Navigate a Complex Post-Pandemic Networking Landscape

What I’ve learned

• I’m extroverted but I’m not SUPER extroverted. A meaningful network of 1,000+ is out of the cards for me, but I’ve found ways to have genuine access to more people by connecting meaningfully with super-connectors.

• The people I get along with best are those that have similar paths under very different circumstances. This allows us to be on the same page about our respective goals, but having gone down wildly different paths to achieve them. For example, my path has been finance → strategy → entrepreneurship, and I recently had a meaningful coffee chat (turned dinner!) with someone whose path was engineering → product management → ed-tech entrepreneurship. We gave each other feedback for our ventures and also discussed cooking, writing, and more!

• The best way to connect with people at networking events is to only briefly mention your reason for being there (pitching, fundraising, job prospecting, etc.). Ask them questions, be helpful in what they are doing, and introduce some vulnerability—get to know them as a human.

• Save the business aspects for the follow ups. If the connection was real, then the rest will fall into place.

1. Create Meaningful, Weak Ties

• Takeaway: “Your weak ties generally occupy a very different world than you do. They’re hanging out with different people, often in different worlds, with access to a whole inventory of knowledge and information unavailable to you and your friends.”

• Tip: It’s important to have a strong relationship with the people you see very often—work colleagues, mentors, friends, and family. However, if you expose yourself only to these people, you are limiting yourself to people all occupying a similar niche. That’s why it’s important to create meaningful, weak ties. Not weak ties in the connection sense, rather, weak ties in the sense that your worlds do not overlap much. This exposes you to different thinking, different people, and opportunities you may have never known about.

2. Connect with Super-Connectors

• Takeaway: "Super-connectors not only know thousands of people, but know thousands of people in many different worlds, and know them well enough to give them a call. Once you become friendly with a super-connector, you're only two degrees of away from the thousands of different people they know."

• Tip: Trying to keep up with hundreds, if not thousands, of acquaintances on top of the friends you already have is a daunting if not impossible task. Sure, some people have the extremely extroverted knack for maintaining these ultra broad networks. For the rest of us, what's the solution? Simple—you create meaningful connections with super-connectors. To find super connectors in the wild, there are a few professions that require "super-connector" on their resume that you can target: headhunters, public relations people, journalists, popular bloggers and restaurateurs.

3. Expand Your Circle

• Takeaway: "The most efficient way to enlarge and tap the full potential of your circle of friends is to connect your circle with someone else's."

• Tip: Connecting with an individual is great, but connecting your community to another is even better. If there are groups your network would benefit from having access to, find a figure at the center of that group and collaborate on an event or activity. This type of partnering can amplify your network rapidly.

4. Redefine Small-Talk

• Takeaway: "The truth is everyone has something in common with every other person. And you won't find those similarities if you don't open up and expose your interests and concerns, allowing others to do likewise."

• Tip: People often advise you to stay away from hot button topics, personal matters, and strong passions when first meeting others. Rules are immediately placed around what can or can't be said. If we all acted this way, everyone would only know people that "really enjoy their job, caught the game last night, and can't believe what's going on with the weather lately." Instead, try to differentiate yourself by being vulnerable. Talk about what really interests you, what's on your mind, and any questions you have related to the conversation.

5. Follow Up or Fail

• Takeaway: "It's incomprehensible that only a small percentage of us decide to follow up once we've met someone new. I can't say this strongly enough: When you meet someone with whom you want to establish a relationship, take the extra little step to ensure you won't be lost in their mental attic."

• Tip: It's not very hard, which is why it's shocking that so few people do it. People may have this misconception that it requires a lot of time and energy for follow ups, but in reality it requires just two things. 1. Reaching out in a timely manner and 2. Citing just one thing you spoke about during the conversation. Maybe your conversation went well and you actually discussed ways you could help each other. In that case, you can instead reiterate the commitments you have made to one another.

BONUS Cheat Sheet. Available to Subscribers With at Least 1 Referral

What I’m committing to this week for building relationships (~2 hours):

• 🌆 Attending one of Andrew Yeung’s rooftop networking events and making sure to follow up with each person I meet (~45 minutes)

• ☕ Grabbing a coffee with a new connection to exchange ideas on what we’re each working on (~30 minutes)

• 🤝 Connecting two people I’ve met in the ed-tech entrepreneurship space since I started taking networking more seriously (~15 minutes)

• 🤔 Reflecting on my week this Friday: How often am I using boring small talk vs. being vulnerable and discussing real interests when meeting new people (~30 minutes)

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