The surprising element that makes networking between founders and entrepreneurs better is coaching. Let me explain.
Two ways to make a connection
I would argue that there are two primary ways we can make a connection. The difference is on the value participants exchange.
The value of becoming 'friends'. Getting to know the other person intimately, finding how we are similar, or other ways to get to like each other.
The value of being useful. Helping the other person, providing some tangible value for their life or work.
#1 is promoted as the way to network correctly. But it's bloody hard. People don't open up the first time they see us. It's hard to make friends in general, not even mentioning when you have the pressure of making it happen at a networking party.
#2 also requires space, permission, and a certain level of trust to open up about the challenges.
Here is how we hacked networking.
A short story of GrowthClub
GrowthClub is a peer to peer coaching platform for high-quality founders. Peer to peer here refers to founders coaching each other. I started in GrowthClub as a user. I liked it so much that I ended up helping the founder. Here is why.
Coaching is an ingenious way to bring networking to the next level. To clarify, I don't mean 'startup coaching'. I refer to classical coaching, a systematic methodology of asking questions to help people with goal-setting, building habits, self-awareness and -management, innovation, priorities, etc.
First of all, coaching gives an excuse for asking important questions. Through these, you tend to get to know the other person better.
Secondly, the goal of coaching is to provide value. And it does. It opens the opportunity to provide tangible value for the other person's life or work.
That is why I fell in love with GrowthClub's service. It both provides founders tangible value through solving their challenges with fellow founders and allows them to develop their network.
Thanks for sticking till the end! I am an advisor at GrowthClub. GrowthClub is a peer to peer coaching platform for high-quality founders. In GrowthClub you gain focus, improve execution, and manage stress through curated 1:1 video-calls with fellow founders.
I started with GrowthClub as a user. I liked it so much that I ended up helping the founder. Currently, after experiencing a great inflow of founders from our launch on Product Hunt and Indie Hackers featured article, we are signing up 30 hand-picked founders to form the core of our platform to actively iterate the product with them.