5 ms·

Eh... founders should always be talking with different, intelligent people and soaking up ideas. If that's what you mean by networking, fine. But I think the

Eh... founders should always be talking with different, intelligent people and soaking up ideas. If that's what you mean by networking, fine. But I think the networking tptacek refers to is the type that's organized X times/mo. and for the purpose of professional development. It's those ad hoc events where this group is encouraged to co-mingle with this one. It has its place, but just as useful at times is getting together with a group of peers you trust and exchanging notes. Having a few beers and talking about what challenges you're having, what breakthroughs you've made... I think the tradtional idea of networking is overemphasized among a lot of startups (and sometimes dangerously so) because it's an abstraction away from the work that keeps them alive. You've got to make sure you keep a watchful eye on your schedule and don't confuse attending X and Y event for Z productivity.

orianmarx 18y ago
I agree that "professional networking" is often a waste of time, but meeting other startups and potential users and sharing ideas has always been valuable to me. That's what I was trying to say by referring to "connecting" and not just "networking". Maybe there's a better word...
- fallentimes 18y ago
  Making friends.
tptacek 18y ago
Agree, networking is over-emphasized. We did a lot of networking at the outset, with no particular plan or strategy, and it doesn't feel like time well spent. Not sure I'm saying "my kind of networking meets X times per month", but I will say this: we organized monthly meetups for the professionals in our market (computer/network security), made it as all-inclusive as we could, and it's been far more valuable to us than the vanity networking we did early on. Isn't this one of the major recurring criticisms of valley culture? That all those people do is go to parties with the same people every night?
- brianlash 18y ago
  Sorry, I was unclear. What I meant was (at least from waht I gathered from your post) that you're skeptical of vanity networking and that you favor less formal gatherings done in the spirit of meetups. I'm with you on that.
  - tptacek 18y ago
    I thought you might have been, but I just wanted to plug the idea of organizing market-specific meetups to network with customers, prospective employees, and partners --- people who can actually help your business --- do this! SXSW trips not so much.
- justin 18y ago
  As someone who has gone through Y Combinator early on, I think networking was actually a bit under emphasized. A lot of networking can be useless if you don't follow up in depth; but our company has gained immeasurably by identifying people who have built and scaled businesses (technically and otherwise) and then got them to sit down for an hour or two and teach us about an area that we're weak on.
  - tptacek 18y ago
    I would love an example.

orianmarx 18y ago

I agree that "professional networking" is often a waste of time, but meeting other startups and potential users and sharing ideas has always been valuable to me. That's what I was trying to say by referring to "connecting" and not just "networking". Maybe there's a better word...

fallentimes 18y ago
Making friends.

tptacek 18y ago

Agree, networking is over-emphasized. We did a lot of networking at the outset, with no particular plan or strategy, and it doesn't feel like time well spent. Not sure I'm saying "my kind of networking meets X times per month", but I will say this: we organized monthly meetups for the professionals in our market (computer/network security), made it as all-inclusive as we could, and it's been far more valuable to us than the vanity networking we did early on. Isn't this one of the major recurring criticisms of valley culture? That all those people do is go to parties with the same people every night?

brianlash 18y ago
Sorry, I was unclear. What I meant was (at least from waht I gathered from your post) that you're skeptical of vanity networking and that you favor less formal gatherings done in the spirit of meetups. I'm with you on that.
- tptacek 18y ago
  I thought you might have been, but I just wanted to plug the idea of organizing market-specific meetups to network with customers, prospective employees, and partners --- people who can actually help your business --- do this! SXSW trips not so much.
justin 18y ago
As someone who has gone through Y Combinator early on, I think networking was actually a bit under emphasized. A lot of networking can be useless if you don't follow up in depth; but our company has gained immeasurably by identifying people who have built and scaled businesses (technically and otherwise) and then got them to sit down for an hour or two and teach us about an area that we're weak on.
- tptacek 18y ago
  I would love an example.