How to develop an online professional network [StoryTime Saturdays]
A.K.A how to be more popular than your friends.
Happy Saturday my friend,
This has been a fun week for me. I just got back from Utqiagvik. It is the northernmost city in America. It’s so cold up there, that I got to see a wild polar bear. It is super cool, in more ways than one. I’m sure y’all are killing your weeks as well. If you have some interesting stories to tell, feel free to share them. I’ll even feature the coolest stories in this newsletter/through my content.
Continuing this week’s theme on friends, let’s cover how to develop an online network that will make you the kkooolll kid in your friend circle.
In the post How I got a Referal by getting Strangled [Storytime Saturdays], I went over how you can establish find the right people and establish your relationships with them. This will be the complement to that. Here I will cover how you can build a network of internet strangers, who will help you achieve your goal. The secret, my friend, is drugging their water and kidnapping their children.
Just Kidding…
Maybe… Read on to find out.
The highlights
This post will cover the following ideas:
Why you should build an online network- The internet is amazing. It connects interesting people from different backgrounds. This can be very powerful for your own progression and growth.
Dos and don’ts of building your network- Something that a lot of people need to learn. Being active and asking questions is cool. Impatience is a huge killer. So is neediness. Don’t commit these cardinal sins.
This is one of the ideas that apply to everyone. There is no one in the world who would not benefit from developing a strong set of connections. Don’t miss it.
Let’s get funky.
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Why everyone benefits from developing a network
I want you to imagine your friends/social circle. They’re probably people you spend a lot of time with. Most likely, they have similar demographic information to you. They most probably do similar things and have similar results. No, I’m not stalking you. This is just human nature. Most big businesses monetize this in various ways.
Here is where that can be a problem. What happens when you want to do something anything different? Let’s say you’re looking for a new job. Statistically speaking, you’re more likely to get a job through a weak connection (someone whose existence you know, but nothing more) than a strong connection (your friends). Keep in mind this study was done in 1973, prior to social media. Now keeping in touch with weak connections is much easier. Why is that?
One theory is that people who fall into this category are particularly helpful because they tend to travel in different social circles and work at different companies (or in entirely different industries). As a result, they often have access to different information and resources than your strong ties.
-Source
Your online networks work in a very similar way. One thing that always blows me away while interacting with people online is the diversity of the people in Machine Learning. These people bring with them interesting and unique challenges and innovative solutions. They also have their own sets of resources, which can prove to be very helpful.
Also, online networks can be much easier to leverage at scale. Imagine being able to reach 10000 people with your request at the same time. Online networks will provide that to you.
How to build your network the right way
Most people, unfortunately, don’t know how to network. Especially online. You have no idea, how many people read my articles and reach out to me with something like
Hey Devansh. Love your work. Can you do this College Assignment to me? Refer me to a job in your network? Donate me your kidneys?
Mind you, these are people who I didn’t know existed prior to this message. At least take me to dinner before taking my kidneys. Chivalry is sooo dead.
That is not a good way to connect for anything. Not only are you most likely going to get a no, but you’re also making a terrible first impression. Not the W for you, my super talented reader.
There is a better way. It requires patience and initiative, but it is guaranteed to work. And it will boost your learning journey. The best part about this is that you don’t have to have any internet clout or reach the heights of fame that I have. Anybody with the technical capabilities and ability can do this.
Let’s get into it.
Step 1: Find the Cool Kids Party
The first step is to find where people with your interests are gathering. For example, when it comes to Machine Learning, there are a few LinkedIn groups (like this), Yannic Kilcher’s Discord, the ML Subbeddit, and Twitter creators where you can find lots of discussions surrounding Machine Learning. Find these, and become a part of these groups. Now you have an avenue where you can interact with and meet people interested in similar ideas and domains.
If you’re a creator like me, then your goal becomes to eventually become a cool party where others come. For those of you not interested in becoming creators, you don’t have to worry about this. So this process is even easier.
Step 2: Start Adding Value
This sounds scary but this is honestly simple. Not always easy, but simple. Let’s take Machine Learning Twitter as an example. There are tons of great creators who post there (including yours truly). If they share their thoughts on some ML concept, you can always contribute your experience with that idea. You might ask a few questions about a technical nuance, or just share related/conflicting ideas you know about. Don’t be afraid to disagree if you think their stance is wrong. Most creators appreciate well thought-out rebuttals. You can see a personal example of this situation here where I disagreed with Santiago, a huge ML Twitter person, on his advice. He appreciated my counterarguments and even added my Tweets to his thread. It will take some time for you to figure out the best way to approach this. Everyone’s value adds are unique after all. This is also what makes this approach doable for everyone.
Anyhoo, now that you have found where all your cool kids hang out, and you have started to contribute to the conversations, now we proceed to the final (and most important step).
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