Post on 15-Jul-2015
Social Networking
and Partnering
Shelly D. Farnham, Ph.D. Social Media R & D Consultant / Founder
Waggle Labs / Pathable
StartupDay 2009
My Background: Industry R&D
Specialize in social media Social networks, community, mobile
Early stage innovation Extremely rapid R&D cycle
study, brainstorm, design, prototype, evaluate (repeat)
Career PhD in Social Psych from UW
7 years Microsoft Research
4 years startup world
Personal Map
Waggle Labs: Social Media R&D Consulting and Incubation
CoCollage (Strands)
Swaggle (group text messaging)
Zillow community
Teen Focus
Group (MSR)
Social Web 2.0
Pathable
Trusera
Reality AllStarz
analysis
City of SeattleTwitterdinks
Pathable
Social networking
and community
tools for
conferences
In limited time
available at events,
optimize opportunities
to meet the *right*
people
So You Want to Be a Startup
Core problem:
How do I go from being a
person with a specialized
skill in a large company to
a successful startup
person?
You don’t….not alone
At Minimum, You’ll Probably Need:
person who makes it person who turns it into
a business
How Do You Get From Here to There?
Professional Networking
Increases access to valuable
information, resources and
opportunities
Correlated with finding jobs,
promotions, salary
Important for finding partners,
investors, customers Social capital:
level of access to resources
through people
Participating in “the Community”
"I define "community" as networks of interpersonal ties that provide
sociability, support, information, a sense of belonging, and social identity.”
– Barry Wellman (2001)
Cupcake
Society
Why do You Care About Community?
Sure!
Hey, I’m a
member of the
Cupcake
Society too!
Can I
borrow
some sugar?Sure!
Take
my
recipe,
too!
Community groups enable transitive relationships
Powerfully increase social capital through simple act of joining
community
Communities of practice: group of people interested in content
domain, shared practices increase effectiveness of members
Tips for Networking and Community
#1: Be Authentic
#2: Know What You are Looking For
A partner?
What skills required for successful business?
What don’t you have? Be honest!
Customers?
Investors?
Colleagues with good advice?
#3: Seek Diversity
#4: Hang Out (in Bars)
Informal, serendipitous
conversation
#5: Give Away Ideas and Knowledge Freely
The Love Cat Way
Be a Love Cat!!
#6: Participate in Related Projects
Volunteer for
events, hacker
spaces, seven
hour startup
Find people
you enjoy
working with
#7: Play Nice
Reputation
spreads like
wild-fire
#8: Sign up for Email Lists, Blogs,
Groups Seattle Tech
Startup
Seattle 2.0,
TechFlash
NWEN
Tip #9: Go to Events
Face to face matters
developing trust
informal idea and knowledge sharing via conversation
Events for people like you
Social support, community of practice
StartupDay, nPost, Seattle Mind Camp, BarCamp
Seattle, Ignite
Events for your clients and customers
Give talks to increase exposure
Tips for Partnering
Ok, so you think
you might have
found someone…
Interview
Do they have a history of
success?
Are they committed for
the long haul?
Trust your instincts, and
if you don’t, have them
meet your mom
#1: Be Selective
#2: Practice Working Together
Work together on
low-commitment
project first
Good “Flow”?
Trust and Respect?
#3: Treat Your Partnership like a
Professional, *Legal*, Relationship
Some successful businesses
with friends or couples as
partners
BUT, all the more reason to
treat it legally
Hire a lawyer
Include clear dissolution
strategy in your legalese
#4: Assign Roles
Assign roles, and give
ownership
Don’t get in their way
Clarify who’s “the
boss”, who gets final
say
#5: Communicate
Communication is
critical, but not just
business communication
Ensure you and your
partner are aware of your
burn out potential, risk
tolerance, enthusiasm
In Sum
Networking matters
It’s fun!
Developing a good partnership, is much like
developing a serious relationship