Most people don't sit down at a table with a pad and make a list of the people they know. But that's precisely what superconnector Steve Fretzin, a leading legal business development consultant, does with his clients—and the experience is eye-opening.
Even at the beginning of our careers, most of us know more people than we think we do. But when we sit down to "network," we draw a blank. Superconnectors avoid this problem by making a record of who they know and keeping it fresh.
Lessons from Who Got Me Here
Molly Graham · worked for Mark Zuckerberg, Bret Taylor, and Chamath Palihapitiya
- Throughout her career, Molly has spotted interesting people and dug deeper, inviting them to coffees and reaching out for insight.
- Every time she changed jobs, she'd make a list of all the people she wanted to stay close with.
- However you do it, you've got to build your personal CRM and make a point of reaching out to keep relationships fresh.
Every job search starts with a list
- You want to catalog everyone you know, and everyone who could be helpful. A Google Sheet is a good place to start—but depending on how big your list is, it can be a lot of work to maintain.
- Tools like Connect The Dots connect your email accounts and automatically identify your strong, familiar, and weak relationships. People are organized with their current role, company, contact info, and last activity—and you can add notes on interests, family, hometown, and more.
- Once you have your people, organize them into lists: former colleagues, CEOs, investors, recruiters, champions, friends & family. The best connections come from many different places, so being able to cast a wide net helps.
- Do the same for companies: cool companies, companies you're talking to, companies you've interviewed with. Look at where the people you respect work now. Scan "fastest growing companies" and "best places to work" lists, then see whom you know there.
- Many people only think about their network during a job search. Your network should be an evergreen asset you nurture and grow. As Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight, said: "The worst time to network is when you're on a job hunt. The best time to network is always."
Additional reading: 1,000,000 potential contacts
- Connect your personal email and your work email. Then connect networks with friends, coworkers, customers, and former colleagues.
- 1M potential contacts ≈ roughly 500 connectors. Superconnectors matter—add people with relevant networks, clout, and aligned incentives.
- Building a network with 1,000,000 potential contacts is absolutely within your reach.
Putting it into practice
- Build a people database — maintain a list of contacts categorized by relationship strength. Start with a pad or spreadsheet—or use Connect The Dots to compile, sort, and update your contacts automatically, for free.
- Make it easy to slice — track a consistent set of attributes (how you know them, industry, contact info, interests) based on how you're most likely to use your network.
- Keep it fresh — regularly update your lists so you have one reliable system you can reference anytime, and quickly refresh yourself on anyone you know.
