The Intentional Networker's Playbook
"Network more" is vague advice.
Network where? When? With who? Nobody tells you. They just say it's important and leave you to figure out the rest.
So you network reactively. Whatever event is nearby. Whatever your friends are attending. Whatever showed up in your inbox. Then you wonder why your network doesn't produce results.
Here's a better framework.
Go where your market goes
I go to founder events. Small business meetups. Startup communities. Not because they're convenient, but because that's my target market.
If your ICP is fintech execs, hanging with early-stage founders won't fill your pipeline. If you're selling to SMBs, enterprise conferences won't help.
Purposeful networking starts with three questions:
- Who do I actually need to meet?
- Where do they spend their time?
- What rooms put me in front of the right people, not just more people?
You can't manufacture warm intros if you've been spending all your networking capital in the wrong places.
Measure whether it's working
Networking events cost money. Conference tickets. Travel. Time away from building. If you're treating these as business expenses, measure them like business expenses.
After every event, I ask:
- How many useful intros or relationships came out of this?
- How many existing relationships got stronger?
- How many follow-ups actually happened?
Most people leave with some LinkedIn connections and a vague sense it was "good for visibility." That's not ROI. That's hope.
If you went to 10 events last quarter and can't point to a single warm intro or deal, that's data. Use it.
Know when to compound vs explore
Not all events serve the same purpose.
Returning to a familiar event: You deepen existing relationships. People recognize you. You build reputation, become someone others vouch for. Each time you go, your network in that room gets denser.
Trying a new event: You expand into new circles. Test whether a different room fits your market better. Higher variance, but necessary for growth.
The mistake is treating these the same.
If your existing events are producing intros and deals, double down. Go back. Get known.
If you've been going to the same events for years with nothing to show for it, stop hoping this year will be different. Explore.
The best networkers do both intentionally. They have home base events where they compound, and they carve out time to test new rooms.
The playbook
Go where your market goes. Track whether it's working. Know whether you're there to compound or explore.
That's it.