Networking Magic

I recently attended a presentation by David Speigel on Networking Magic. I reread his notes and LinkedIn posts. Here are my action take-aways:

Prioritize networking. Do it daily, with thick skin. Move on quickly, don’t dwell on it. It is a numbers game. Goal: 100 connections/number of years of work.
Learn how to leverage LinkedIn better.
- (Re)Connect with past co-workers.
- Add everyone: Connect with folks you meet at work meetings, conferences, communities, and meetups.
- Connect with super-connectors (e.g., professors, recruiters, anyone who gets lots of looks, VCs).
- Search LinkedIn regularly: people you may know, more profiles for you, search using filters. Combine reach out with contactout.com.
- Build and bookmark LinkedIn’s Feed lists (how-to-connections; how-to-posts)
- Comment on posts!
Learn how to craft reach out messages: find things in common, show research, add value, be curious. Keep it brief. Start the relationship with at best a minimal ask.