Hacker News Reader

Comment by TamDenholm | Hacker News Reader

Totally agree, i just dont get it at all, then again i dont do "networking" in real life either, i'm just not wired like that at all. I find that whole ecosystem of networking, sharing contacts, phoning people to "touch base" very fake, incestuous and pretty sleazy, so i just dont take part in it at all.

I know though that people who are good at it can be extremely successful business people because they know how to work the system, its definitely a flaw of mine, but its not one i want to correct because of my general distaste for how its done. Luckily, i do ok on my own path.

View on HN

I share your general distaste for this stuff, but remember that by getting out, going to events, having a lot of conversations, you will also encounter people who are not full of shit. Networking doesn't have to be all buzzwords and phony smiles. If it is, you're not networking with the right people. The term has been captured, so substitute 'talking shop', 'sharing ideas', 'finding inspiration'. Whatever you call it, it can enrich your life and it doesn't have to be shallow or unpleasant. All it really means is getting to know others in the world around you and keeping an eye out for mutually beneficial opportunities.

"you will also encounter people who are not full of shit"

I'm particularly curious about how to maximize this. Is it a fixed percentage that you have to get out more to increase the number of not full of shit people you meet?

I've long felt "there's got to be a better way". Theoretically comments on HN could be part of how you meet these people but really I like talking to people face to face and on IM. Where's the social graph of people I would think are not full of shit but I don't know already?

In the field of open source, a good indicator is whether an event costs something. The free ones are full of people interested in having beers and talking about code. The expensive ones have suits discussing leveraging strategic synergies of converging core competencies, or whatever.

In Europe this means that great events to have interesting conversations include Fosdem, the Desktop Summits, etc. I'd love to hear what events in US are like that.

Keeping in touch with business connections is neither "working the system" nor "incestuous".

I think you are seriously confusing "networking events" with the general good practice of making a good reputation in your industry and staying connected with industry leaders / good past colleagues.

Very solid long term businesses are built by people like you. With solid relationships kept alive over decades.

Companies like morgan motors, vans aircraft, Cessna and many others. Don't discount yourself just because you're not as flashy as that other guy. Many people are turned off by donald trump types.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com