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So, I'll be a bit contrarian on this. I get a lot of intros. I get a lot of mail. But my chief role is not a networker. My role is to make sure the company
by wheels 15y ago
So, I'll be a bit contrarian on this.
I get a lot of intros. I get a lot of mail. But my chief role is not a networker. My role is to make sure the company makes money.
It happens a lot that I'll have some contact of a contact do an intro to someone that they think will be useful for us. We've done enough deals at this point that we can pretty quickly tell is an incoming intro passes the smell test or not.
Often I'll do an initial call out of courtesy to the person that did the intro, but I don't bother with a follow-up unless I smell blood in the water.
I end up dropping more intros that I'm happy with. It definitely bugs me at times that I can't stay on top of every intro that comes my way. But it's important to balance pure networking with actual business development and to not confuse the two.
- beanstr 15y agoThis article is for people on the other side of the table who send you emails and are looking for help. Think of a company who does not follow up after getting a positive response from you.
- wheels 15y agoOne thing that's interesting about startups though is that it's not always clear which side of the table is which. A lot of the intros that I end up dropping are with folks from companies that are more important than us. (That's actually really common since they've have dedicated BD people whose job is basically opportunistic networking.) That said, you're right -- if you contact someone out of the blue higher up in the food-chain than you are, then the onus is on you to follow-through.
- supahfly_remix 15y ago"My role is to make sure the company makes money." Do you own the company? If not, you're a hired gun. My unsolicited advice: be a professional, have integrity, make money for the company. One day, perhaps through no fault of your own, you might not make money, and the company will subsequently kick you out on your ass. Then, you'll see the value of those intros you made.
- wheels 15y agoDo you own the company? I am a co-founder. From my reading, this article was primarily targeted at founders, so I responded in kind. Edit: As a side note, there's a hidden subtlety in your phrasing that's worth pointing out. When you're an employee, your interests are still primarily personal. When you're a founder, the line between personal and business interests are scant if they exist at all. As an employee you'll often be in contact with folks that (whether consciously or otherwise) you think may be useful for you at some point. As a founder, that extends out to the business, and the question of if they'll be useful to you in that moment equivalent to if they'll be useful for the company. Now, there is life after the present company for founders as well, but psychologically, at least for me and I assume many others, that realm is far less in the foreground than it is for an employed person.
- supahfly_remix 15y agoMakes sense...now I understand why you used "we" and "us."
- VladRussian 15y agogoogled for "be nice to people quotes", and among other things it brought "Be nice to people on your way up because you'll meet them on your way down."
- gvb 15y agoThe value of those intros you made will be all the friends you will now have in the industry that owe you a debt of gratitude, if nothing else.