How to Network as a Startup Founder

This post details how we went from having zero contacts at large brands to sourcing partnerships with execs at PolicyGenius, Instacart, SoFi, hims/hers, Ramp, TD Bank and more. I spent the first 10 years of my career on the publisher side, so we had a slight head start there. But when it came to sourcing brand deals, we started from zero. Whether you’re a founder, an SDR, or just trying to invest in your network, these 5 steps will get you there: 1 - Start with what you have. Look through your network for people tangentially related to your target industry. Literally sift through every current contact you have on LinkedIn. Ask them for coffee. Pick their brain. I was learning about the PR industry in parallel with building my network - each meeting helped form our roadmap, while also building a network. People like helping people, but they don’t want to feel used. Be genuinely curious. Do this at least 10 times^. Step outside your comfort zone. If 100% of people say yes, you aren’t asking enough people for coffee. 2 - Parlay into more conversations. Every conversation should end with “who else should I meet with?” If you're charming and your goals are clear, this will lead to new conversations. Follow up (show them you listened), but don’t be a PITA. Networking is a long game, don’t bug them every 3 days. At this stage you are planting seeds, not picking flowers. 3 - Ask for feedback, not sales. No one wants to be sold, but everyone wants to feel like their opinion matters. Don’t lead with “wondering if they’d be interested in our product,” but instead “I want to get their feedback on what we’re doing.” This will make you 10x more likely to land meetings. 4 - Create Content. My posting on LinkedIn has directly led to over 20 deals for Stacker. But they did not come from people sliding into my dms with “hey can we work with you?” It was through connecting with interesting people in the space, them evangelizing what we do, and 2 months later introducing me to someone that they thought could be a client. If you plant enough seeds, some will turn into fruit. Editor’s note - do this yourself. People can tell when you’ve paid someone to write for you, and it’s turning into a huge turn off. I think if I paid an agency to write my content, I’d have twice as many followers, but half as many meaningful deals coming through. 5 - Nurture. Just because a conversation doesn’t end with “wow I should intro you to this potential client” doesn’t mean it won’t be valuable long term. People like to help people that they like. So cultivate relationships, put out into the world what you’re seeking, and trust that its a process. This post is about building a network that will reap deals over the mid to long term. These are not tips for how to close deals next week. Is it frustrating that this takes time? Sure. But I guarantee that if you start today, you’ll be in a much better place a year from now. Building a network is a snowball - gotta start somewhere.

Most founders “network” randomly. Here’s how to do it deliberately. I use the BUILD framework. 𝗕 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲. You need a structured CRM. Somewhere to track who you’re meeting, how you met them, and what’s next. No base = no visibility, no data, no momentum. 𝗨 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸. You already know people who can open doors. Map your network trees. Find 20–30 people who genuinely back you — and will make intros. Your best early investors are a few warm emails away. 𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆. You need to find the right investors for your stage, sector, and vision. If you pitch the wrong people, even a perfect story won’t land. Research, target, filter. Precision beats volume. 𝗟 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲. Now combine your network with your targets. Who knows who? How do you turn those contacts into 100+ warm intros? Use smart outreach. Make every ask easy to say yes to. 𝗗 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. Great networks collapse without process. Follow-ups. Reminders. Proper intros. Systemise it all — and keep building for the next round too. This is how you raise faster. From better investors. On better terms.

I took my last company from the basement to working with multi billion-dollar companies. This was my exact 5 step process for getting in the door with big brands: 1) Google Alerts 🚨 Setup a Google News Alert for the company’s name. This will report ongoing news written about the company. Refine it down so you’re getting quality. You can use quotes to focus on exact products or people. Read weekly to ensure you know what’s happening with the target. 2) LinkedIn networking 🤝 Find the company on LinkedIn. Connect / follow relevant, key players. Tap the bell icon on their profile so you know when they post. You are not pitching. 3) Engage 🗣️ For at least 3 weeks, engage with their content. Don’t just comment—add value in your engagement. Remember, as new connections, they will likely see your content, too. So, first create content, and second, make sure it's representing you well (for me, I'd maybe layoff the "drunk raccoon" theme for a bit). 4) The ask❓ After watching their content and news alerts for a month, I’ll usually have some idea of who I should be talking to and I’ll have some new contacts. These are my "inside man" (or woman) if you will. I will message my contacts and “Hey, I’ve enjoyed your content and love what you’re doing. Wondering if you can help. Who should I speak with about [TOPIC]?” Often, they’ll know and do an intro. If they don’t know, they often will find out for me because I didn't pitch slap loose a molar out of the gate—I'm not longer a rando. 5) The recon at work 🧠 Alright, got the first meeting. I'm now armed to the teeth with knowledge of what the team is talking about publicly, their media coverage, and I am riding the coattails of a warm intro. In sales, this is as good as it gets. This process is a slow play, but I did it for years and it works, especially for new founders who are working their way up to big partnerships. With this process, you not only land a meeting—you know everything about them. Founders, also know it works great for potential acquirers. I did this with several potential acquirers, and it was really helpful in keeping me privy to what they were focused on at the time. This meant I could align my product to the solutions they were working on. (Also, I'll call out if you're in sales and want to move faster, follow Darren McKee—he drops awesome weekly tips on nailing meetings quick.)

But I understood one thing most founders miss: your network isn't something you chase - it's something you earn by creating genuine value first. The networking playbook that actually works: 1. Stop pitching, start helping. I spent months just asking "What can I do for you?" instead of "Can you invest in me?" 2. Quality over quantity always wins. Better to have 10 people who actually know your story than 100 LinkedIn connections who forgot your name. 3. Online networking is your secret weapon. 5-10 meaningful DMs per day, genuine compliments about their work, asking thoughtful questions about their business. Track everything in a simple spreadsheet. 4. Offline events are relationship accelerators. Sit next to strangers, ask "What brought you here?" and actually listen to their answers. Your best intros come from other builders, not always from formal networking events. 5. Share your work daily. Not pitches - actual progress, lessons learned, behind-the-scenes moments. People want to help founders they're following along with. 6. Follow up within 24 hours. Most networking dies here because founders collect contacts but never nurture relationships. The uncomfortable truth about startup networking: it's not about what you know or who you know - it's about who knows what you're building and believes in your ability to build it. Your network becomes your net worth, but only if you approach it like relationship building, not lead generation. Start today. Reach out to 5 people, offer value first, ask questions second, pitch never.

What if the best networking strategy had nothing to do with “networking” at all? Back in 2014, I started a group called “Delhi Internet Mafia”. To learn from and share insights with founders based out of Delhi. I would cold email founders to show up for the catchup. Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm showed up for one of them. I remember being blown away by his energy, his ambition and his clarity. We stayed in touch. A few years later, Paytm invested in my startup nearbuy. If it weren’t for that group, we may have never raised money from Paytm. 3 ways to build genuine relationships: 1/ Do not try to impress. Be impressed. People can see through your attempts to impress them. But what people can truly be attracted to is your interest in them. Genuine interest. 2/ Engage meaningfully. If engaging offline, ask questions out of pure curiosity. To truly understand. If engaging online, don’t just comment “Great post!” - add insight or ask smart questions. 3/ Give before you ask. That could be sharing feedback on their work, amplifying their content, or connecting them to someone useful. You can never fail with authenticity and trust.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗜𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝘁𝗅𝗅𝗅 A few years ago, I met a founder at an event. His startup was burning cash, his team was falling apart, and he needed urgent help—funding, talent, partnerships, anything. He pulled out his phone, scrolled through LinkedIn, and sighed: "I have 5,000 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀… but 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 I can actually call." That moment hit me like a truck. What’s the point of a network if it’s just names on a list? I never wanted to be that person. But I’ve seen it happen too many times: ↳ A founder launches a startup—then realizes they have no real relationships. ↳ A recruiter needs top talent—then scrambles to build connections. ↳ A professional loses their job—then suddenly remembers their LinkedIn exists. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲. The truth? ↳ Your network isn’t built when you need something. ↳ It’s built when you have nothing to ask for. And here’s what I’ve learned after growing multiple businesses and building startup communities from scratch: ✅ Opportunities don’t come from "connections." They come from trust. ✅ The best hires don’t come from job boards. They come from relationships. ✅ The biggest deals don’t start in boardrooms. They start with a single conversation. So, don’t be this person: "𝗛𝗲𝘆, 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸… 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗲?" Instead, be this person: "𝗛𝗲𝘆𝗅 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻—𝗵𝗼𝘄’𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗱?" And here’s the scary part: Most people won’t do this. They’ll wait until they need something. Then they’ll wonder why nobody is picking up the phone. Don’t be that person. Make it a habit to reach out when you don’t need a damn thing because when the time comes? You won’t even have to ask for help. 💬 What’s the best opportunity you’ve gained from a relationship you built early? Tag someone who actually understands the power of real networking.

I avoided networking for years. 😟 The thought of crowded rooms, forced conversations, and awkward icebreakers sent my social anxiety into overdrive. 😰🙅♀️ But as a founder, networking isn’t optional—it’s essential. Whether it’s meeting potential collaborators, learning from others in the space, or simply getting the word out about Sama Health, I’ve realized that connecting with people is at the heart of building something meaningful. So, here is how I made it work for me: 1️⃣ I choose intimate events over big crowds. Think small workshops, niche meetups, or panels with limited attendees. Why? Because they’re less overwhelming and give me space to truly engage. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and alone in a sea of faces, I can focus on connecting with a few people meaningfully. 2️⃣ I find my safety net in advance. Before an event, I check who’s attending. If I spot someone I know—even remotely—I reach out. Planning to meet up with a familiar face takes the pressure off introducing myself cold to strangers. It’s like having a buddy system for your nerves! 3️⃣ When I don’t know anyone, I create my comfort zone. I scout attendees through LinkedIn and send a thoughtful connection request: a quick intro, why I’m excited about the event, and how I can add value. By the time the event rolls around, I’ve already “met” a few people, making real-life interactions far less intimidating. 4️⃣ I prepare my mind as much as my outfit. Anxiety doesn’t wait until you’re in the room—it starts days before. To manage it, I meditate, practice box breathing, and ground myself. This helps me show up calm, focused, and ready to engage (as much as I can). 🌟 Networking isn’t about forcing yourself into someone else’s version of how it should be. It’s about showing up in ways that feel right for you. For me, that means being intentional, prepared, and focused on genuine connections. 🤔 If you’ve found your own hacks for networking with social anxiety, I’d love to hear them. And if you’re like me—someone who thrives on smaller, more meaningful interactions—let’s connect! You never know where one conversation might lead. 💬✨ #NetworkingWithAnxiety #SocialAnxiety #AuthenticConnections #MentalHealthMatters #ProfessionalGrowth 🔁 Repost if you believe networking should feel authentic, not overwhelming!

Recently, I've had 40+ conversations with founders, investors, and partners - here's what I learned about building a powerful network. I remember attending a national training at KPMG with thousands of professionals from across the U.S. They asked each team: "What's the most valuable thing you'll get out of this event?" We submitted "Networking will be the most valuable thing we get out of this event." I was shocked when they called out our answer as the winner across all teams. It took me years to really understand this. When I launched Mighty Digits, my first 2 customers came from within my network, giving me freedom to build while securing income. Some of my largest customers came from relationships with VC firms who trusted us with their portfolio companies. As the saying goes: "It's not what you know, it's who you know." To me, it's both - but if I had to choose one, it would be the people in my network. A good network naturally raises your IQ and yields 10x dividends. ➡️ IDENTIFY WHO YOU WANT TO NETWORK WITH Everyone wants to connect with their ideal customer, but don't stop there. Connect with other service providers who serve your target audience but aren't competitive - alternate services or same service in different regions. My favorite people to connect with are investors, since there's strong correlation between investing in a company and wanting confident financial records. Start by making a list of the most ideal people to network with and work backwards. Avoid focusing only on customers to sell to. ➡️ HOW TO CONNECT WITH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE "Ask for money and get advice, ask for advice, get money twice." Your goal with networking is NOT to sell anything. Your goal is to provide value and establish relationships. Sales come naturally as relationships are nurtured. Four ways to connect: — Reach out for warm intros through mutual connections — Send targeted cold emails that are relevant and personalized — Host events that allow them to expand their network too — Attend events and approach people in groups or standing alone ➡️ THE FOLLOW-UP FRAMEWORK This is the most important part. After connecting: — Send follow-up email with thanks and conversation recap — Find ways to offer value first - referrals, advice, resources — Keep in touch quarterly to see how you can be of service — Treat your A-list players with appreciation - gifts, meals, personal thanks === Networking is a long-term play. Relationships take time to build, and many may not go anywhere. But for those that do, you can build an entire business on them. What's been your experience with networking? Do you have any tips for building powerful relationships? Share your thoughts below 👇

As a founder raising capital, here are 5 steps I'd take: 1. Grow your network strategically Don't wait until you need money to connect with VCs. Actively attend tech events, startup meetups, and industry conferences where investors are present. Look for local tech weeks - these are goldmines for networking. Remember, building relationships takes time, so start early. 2. Master personalized outreach Research VCs who invest in your sector. Use LinkedIn to identify potential connections. Don't be afraid to ask your network for introductions. Craft tailored messages that show you've done your homework on the investor and their portfolio. 3. Leverage your previous investor network Create a comprehensive list of VCs investing in your space. Share this with your current investors, asking if they can make introductions. This approach can open doors more effectively than cold outreach. Have a blurb and deck ready to send the investors who agree to make it easy. 4. Perfect your pitch and data room Ensure your pitch deck is compelling and concise. More importantly, have a well-organized data room ready. It should contain all relevant financial data, metrics, and documents that investors might request. Be prepared to answer tough questions about your numbers and projections. 5. Understand the fundraising landscape Stay informed about current market conditions, typical deal terms, and valuation trends in your industry. This knowledge will help you set realistic expectations and negotiate more effectively. My TLDR is grow your network, utilize your network, and be prepared for the meeting. #VC #venturecapital #founder #investor

Has anyone ever told you about the unspoken rules of networking… Or did you find out the hard way, like I did? For those Founders just starting their own business, or scaling it up to meet even greater needs and levels of success - let me save you the pain and bestow a bit of practical advice. Networking can be overwhelming. The barrier to entry on these types of events can often be higher than they should be. This is something that I’d like to see changed about the industry. There are so many great ideas out there waiting to be capitalized upon! 🚀 From one founder to another, here are the main things you should direct your focus on when participating in a networking event: 👨 Physical - Dress well, maintain your appearance. - Smile, maintain eye contact and posture, and lock down a solid handshake. - Don’t let your body tense up, it gives you an unapproachable demeanor.  🧠 Mental - Set an objective for the event. Clients, conversation, knowledge? Go in with a goal. - Stay curious - ask questions. Always seek insight from your peers. - Provide value. Search for ways to provide value to others before asking for something in return. - Embrace what makes you authentic. Confidence in yourself acts as a magnet to those around you. 📚 Knowledge - Stay up to date on industry trends for conversation. - Connect with people from various industries and backgrounds. Building a diverse network will bring fresh perspectives and opportunities. I was in the nightlife industry at one point! - Nail down a concise and compelling elevator pitch. Value prop and confidence.  🤝 Connections - Attend relevant events. Build rapport with frequents, and the rest will fall into place. - A good business card is critical. - Use tech for connection purposes - I have a phone background that has a scannable QR code that redirects to my Linkedin. - Follow up with connections promptly. Send personalized messages to solidify their memory of you.  💬 Conversation - Ask more than you tell, until the appropriate time comes. - When joining a group conversation, observe the dynamics before jumping in. - Use body language to signal your interest in joining the conversation. - Develop conversation starters that go beyond business. - Don’t overdo active listening. Make sure you like & save this list for later reference! #founder #startup #entrepreneur #networking #tips