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Entrepreneurs: stop networking and showing off and get back to work

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Re: Entrepreneurs: stop networking and showing off and get back to work

#11

Post by haploid »

I'm really astounded by some of the comments here, almost as if I was browsing the TechCrunch echo chamber. This is certainly not bad advice.

The ratio of "we just got funded" to "we actually developed a valuable product" stories I see in the tech press is getting to astronomical levels. I view this piece as being in response to this trend that really ought to be clear to anybody.

When the bubble pops, having a working, profitable product will be far nicer than having a contact list stuffed full of VC contacts that are now( post-bubble ) scared shitless of doing any deals for any valuation whatsoever.

Then again, pg says there's no bubble, so disregard this and party on. It's different this time.

Re: Entrepreneurs: stop networking and showing off and get back to work

#12

Post by brlewis »

haploid wrote: post #11

I'm really astounded by some of the comments here, almost as if I was browsing the TechCrunch echo chamber. This is certainly not bad advice. The ratio of "we just got funded" to "we actually developed a valuable product" stories I see in the tech press is getting to astronomical levels. I view this piece as being in response to this trend that really ought to be clear to anybody. When the bubble pops, having a worki…

Comments critical of this article acknowledge the existence of people for whom this is good advice. The comment I see failing to acknowledge the other side is yours. "This is certainly not bad advice.". For whom?

Re: Entrepreneurs: stop networking and showing off and get back to work

#13

Post by jedsmith »

Not going to criticize the advice, since I think there's a point to it. I will take issue with this, though:

> The three hours spent at a networking event could also be invested in emailing your customers

Please, no, entrepreneurs. Don't consider e-mail a magic customer builder. I dropped Twilio like a bad habit after their community manager e-mailed me three templates in as many weeks, reminding me that I had signed up for an account; I was developing something using their service, and instantly shelved the project once these started to roll in:

I’d like to introduce myself, I'm Danielle, Twilio's Community Manager, and I'm here to help out with any questions you may have

I wanted to drop a note to see how your experience with Twilio has been going.

Danielle here, I wanted to share a few more Twilio tips and tricks with you.

I'm all for an occasional e-mail or two, but when your company is in my inbox once a week, that's too much. That's not developing a relationship with me, that's trying desperately to keep me interested in your service. Find better ways to develop relationships with your customers aside from e-mail.

Re: Entrepreneurs: stop networking and showing off and get back to work

#15

Post by mncolinlee »

Scouting matters and so does pitching.

I have received great advice and mentoring that I never would have found if I had not spent some time driving under the "great white circle that burns us" to meet with the public. I also found great contacts who will develop art and other specialties I could not easily create myself. That is unless stick figures become chic in site design.

Re: Entrepreneurs: stop networking and showing off and get back to work

#16

Post by nhebb »

jedsmith wrote: post #13

Not going to criticize the advice, since I think there's a point to it. I will take issue with this, though: > The three hours spent at a networking event could also be invested in emailing your customers Please, no, entrepreneurs. Don't consider e-mail a magic customer builder. I dropped Twilio like a bad habit after their community manager e-mailed me three templates in as many weeks, reminding me that I had signed…

I think reasoning like this assumes that our potential customers are like us. I look at my inbox vs. my wife's and realize that not everyone dislikes getting tips, newsletters, promos and every other piece of junk mail under the sun. She loves getting that stuff. It's just bytes on the hard drive, and she doesn't care about that. I know I'm leaving money on the table my not having an email campaign, so it's one thing I'm vowing to change. Sure, you might lose a few people, but in the long run you'll gain more.

Re: Entrepreneurs: stop networking and showing off and get back to work

#17

Post by talbina »

jedsmith wrote: post #13

Not going to criticize the advice, since I think there's a point to it. I will take issue with this, though: > The three hours spent at a networking event could also be invested in emailing your customers Please, no, entrepreneurs. Don't consider e-mail a magic customer builder. I dropped Twilio like a bad habit after their community manager e-mailed me three templates in as many weeks, reminding me that I had signed…

You could have made this post without including the person's name.

Re: Entrepreneurs: stop networking and showing off and get back to work

#18

Post by nadam »

haploid wrote: post #11

I'm really astounded by some of the comments here, almost as if I was browsing the TechCrunch echo chamber. This is certainly not bad advice. The ratio of "we just got funded" to "we actually developed a valuable product" stories I see in the tech press is getting to astronomical levels. I view this piece as being in response to this trend that really ought to be clear to anybody. When the bubble pops, having a worki…

"The ratio of "we just got funded" to "we actually developed a valuable product" stories I see in the tech press is getting to astronomical levels."

In the tech press. But amongst all enterpreneurs it is still quite low. For example no one would fund me, the noname hacker without a working product I can tell you that for sure. As I've browsed angel's profiles I saw that a working product with some customer/user traction seemed to be the absolute minimum for most of them to consider funding a startup. (I've seen something like 'social proof' in those angel-application forms, which may change things for some people, but not for me.)

Re: Entrepreneurs: stop networking and showing off and get back to work

#19

Post by tipsymofo »

wheels wrote: post #10
mgkimsal wrote: post #5

It's not necessarily bad advice to some people, but the majority of people I know that are focused on a new project are spending way too much time on code. "Just one more javascript function to add..." and so on keeps them from ever meeting with anyone - potential customers, local like-minded entrepreneurs who could offer support and introductions to others, etc. If someone recognizes themselves in this piece as the…

I think the point is that networking events aren't usually chock-full of potential customers. They're often an early-adopter circle-jerk and unless your customers are early adopters, you get diminishing returns on such things. You need to build up a network, and so getting out and pitching to folks is a necessity early on, but remember that networking events are mostly just practice for pitching to the people who act…

This depends on what sorts of networking events you're attending. Thinking about it, my networking events fall into four categories:

1) Target Market. Where I'm meeting with people in my target market, and other companies who serve my target market.

2) Recruiting. Not job fairs, but I recently attended a design conference in large part because I'm in the market for a full-time designer.

3) Investment. I'm not currently seeking investment, but I'll occasionally attend events with other entrepreneurs and investors, so that if I decide to raise a round there will be more people who know who I am.

4) Serendipity. Events that are simply interesting to me, and where I have no specific hopes. That said, serendipity occurs at all the events.

I try to attend one to two events per week.

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