3 ms·

Some of the other comments here focus on the poor examples of networking. What about the larger point: that networking is an effect of achievement, not a cause

Some of the other comments here focus on the poor examples of networking. What about the larger point: that networking is an effect of achievement, not a cause. If the author is correct, even "good" networking is not as effective as making something worth making. (I assume that this "maker" bias is intuitively appealing to the larger HN community.)

neerkumar 9y ago
Not necessarily. You can do great networking without having built anything. Say you are a student. Some startup founder starts a business where she targets college students. You like her business. You then reach out to her telling her you are emailing all students in your dept via internal dept email list or FB groups to let them know about her startup. That's great networking. That person will help you in future for sure. And you haven't really built anything yet.
- projectramo 9y ago
  Will they help you for sure? Or only if they know you are good at what you do?
  - neerkumar 9y ago
    I think if you put some effort to help people, you will get help regardless of your skills by many of them. But that help will not be that useful in the long run if you don't have the skills to take advantage of it. Stupid example: if you have helped me in the past, and then ask me for a referral at my company, I will certainly do it regardless of your skills and I will get you an interview. But then it is up to you to pass the interview. Networking opens up opportunities. It doesn't make you successful. If you randomly meet me at a conference and ask for referral, I won't do it. And that's really the kind of networking 95% of people are looking for. It is not meet the #1 investor in the world or similar.
- amelius 9y ago
  But at the same time, your fellow students will put you on an email blacklist :)

3 ms·

Some of the other comments here focus on the poor examples of networking. What about the larger point: that networking is an effect of achievement, not a cause

by projectramo 9y ago

neerkumar 9y ago
Not necessarily. You can do great networking without having built anything. Say you are a student. Some startup founder starts a business where she targets college students. You like her business. You then reach out to her telling her you are emailing all students in your dept via internal dept email list or FB groups to let them know about her startup. That's great networking. That person will help you in future for sure. And you haven't really built anything yet.
- projectramo 9y ago
  Will they help you for sure? Or only if they know you are good at what you do?
  - neerkumar 9y ago
    I think if you put some effort to help people, you will get help regardless of your skills by many of them. But that help will not be that useful in the long run if you don't have the skills to take advantage of it. Stupid example: if you have helped me in the past, and then ask me for a referral at my company, I will certainly do it regardless of your skills and I will get you an interview. But then it is up to you to pass the interview. Networking opens up opportunities. It doesn't make you successful. If you randomly meet me at a conference and ask for referral, I won't do it. And that's really the kind of networking 95% of people are looking for. It is not meet the #1 investor in the world or similar.
- amelius 9y ago
  But at the same time, your fellow students will put you on an email blacklist :)