Might I add, this is probably easier to do than you realize. Call up a small business founder and offer to pay for their lunch in exchange for an update on the

Might I add, this is probably easier to do than you realize. Call up a small business founder and offer to pay for their lunch in exchange for an update on the neat things they are working on. 3 reasons they will likely say yes: 1) A chance to show off the results of their hard work. 2) Since you're smart enough to be asking about them, they may by default think you're a heads-up person and worth taking a close look at (for a potential hire). 3) If you're asking about them, you may know something about their industry or their product that they don't, so they might be interested in finding out if you can provide feedback. Bonus) Free lunch!