The best kind of networking

The best networking is to build something you care about and ask people for advice. That's it. That's the whole strategy. And it works for two reasons that have nothing to do with tactics. 1. People genuinely like helping Most people don't want to hand out favors. But if they see you building something, literally anything, the dynamic shifts instantly. When you're actively working on something interesting, you're no longer a cold email asking for a favor. You're a person in motion. And momentum attracts people. 2. People are drawn to passion Passion is impossible to fake. You can feel it in the way they talk about the thing they're pursuing. People naturally want to be around that energy because deep down, if they're worth talking to, they also have that fundamental passion. Why this form of networking works When you're building something and you ask for advice, you're giving people: * A chance to talk about something they know * A window into your ambition and curiosity * A chance for their advice to materialize * And a break from the endless stream of generic "Can I pick your brain?" messages. PLEASE never send a message that says "Can I pick your brain?". Be specific! Couple tips. Make each outreach personal to you and them. Update after the meeting. Don't expect more than once a month. All you need is motion People don't expect perfection. What they respond to is effort, curiosity, and the willingness to start before you feel ready. If you wait until you've "earned the right" to reach out, you'll wait forever. Start now. Build something small. Work on it every day just a little. Share it. Talk about it. Ask questions. You'll be shocked by how many people respond to that. You'll be shocked by how many "you know who you should talk to" you get. The biggest mistake in networking The biggest misconception about networking is that it's about reaching outward first. It's not. It starts with your interests, your curiosity, the things you're willing to spend your nights and weekends working on just because you can't not do them. Once you have that, connecting with others becomes natural. It becomes easy. You're not forcing anything. You're sharing something real, and people respond to authenticity much faster than to ambition alone. Final thoughts If you want to meet incredible people, don't start by "networking." Start by building. Start by caring deeply about something. Start by being the kind of person someone actually wants to talk to. Shoutout to Ben Katz for the essay idea and for proving that one genuine cold email can spark a mentorship and friendship.