KEY POINTS:
Ideally it's not who you know, it's what you know - but reality bites after a while - especially when you're not from 'here'. If you know the right people, getting your foot in the door is much easier.
First, however, the givens are: once you get in the door you will not screw it up and lose the person. Yes, you have to know what you are saying or pitching about so that you can use the opportunity to get what you want.
The power of networks for start-ups is about two things - if you or a contact has networks, it helps get you in the door and work out 'the system by which you can win'.
It does not, however, enable you to win - that is up to the entrepreneur to perform, not the networker or connector. In these words, you might note I used the words 'you or a contact'.
A lot of us start-up people are geeks and start with average social skills - not because we are weirdoes or dickheads, but because we are shy and unpractised. We have not worked at platonic people-to-people contact for many years.
The key about networks is they open doors. Without them, you may die or just go really, really slow. You have to have them - and if you are a bit green at all of this or don't feel comfortable, then sidle up with someone like your local incubator manager to get them to open the doors.
Use them to help explain the rules of a particular organisation or find out what the target really thought of your pitch. It is incredible what corporates have told me over the years, as they perceive me as a 'safe person' who cares about New Zealand - they figure correctly that there is a higher order.
We call these people 'connectors.' When you meet one of them, like me, they seem to know heaps of people and they are willing to share those networks with people they like and trust. They stand out like dogs balls and they know their function is to be used, which is cool. They actually have an innate interest in people and love the opportunity to meet someone new. When you meet these connectors, you need to really do DD (or due diligence) on them to see how current their networks are and how good their rep is in the market.
Finally, for those of who you still feel uncomfortable - don't fret - I have seen people who are still socially inept geeks survive in this world. They adapt as best they can to get what they want and surround themselves with people who can do a lot of foraging and licking-up.
End result: networks help to get you there faster. That means more sales or more money or better staff so you can bum off to surf, race cars, play golf or better still - do another start-up that makes you millions.
Andy Hamilton is the CEO of The Icehouse incubator in Auckland.
- START-UP
