The "anti-networking" guide to building a network
You go to a mixer. You wear a name tag. You hand out business cards.
You have 20 awkward conversations about the weather. You go home exhausted.
You follow up on LinkedIn. Nobody replies.
Networking sucks. It feels fake because it is fake.
Here is the hard truth: Networking is begging. Value creation is attracting.
High-value people do not go to mixers. They are too busy working.
If you want to meet them, you don't ask for their time. You earn it.
The "give first" system
Stop asking: "How can this person help me?"
Start asking: "How can I be useful to this person?"
Here are 3 ways to build a network without ever going to a mixer.
1. The Permissionless Project
Don't ask for a meeting. Do the work first.
* Designer? Redesign their landing page and send them the Figma file.
* Marketer? Audit their ads and send them a video of 3 things to fix.
* Editor? Clip their podcast into shorts and send them the files.
If you send good work, they will reply. 100% of the time.
2. The "Super-Connector"
If you can't help them directly, introduce them to someone who can.
"Hey, I saw you are hiring a designer. I know the best one in the city. Want an intro?"
You become valuable by being the bridge.
3. The Content Magnet
Write about the problems smart people have.
When you write insightful things, smart people find you.
Your blog is your networking event. But instead of 20 people, it reaches 2,000.
Stop chasing. Start building.
Be so useful they can't ignore you.
