Networking for people who hate networking
You don't need to work a room or collect business cards. Modern networking is being modestly useful to a small number of people, repeatedly.
By Daniel Brooks · 2026-06-15
If 'networking' conjures name tags and forced small talk, good news: the effective version looks nothing like that. It's a habit of small, genuine usefulness.
The introvert-proof system
- Two touchpoints a week — congratulate a launch, share an article with a 'this made me think of you', answer a question in a community.
- Depth over breadth — 25 people who actually know your work beat 2,500 connections.
- Give first, ask rarely — a year of small deposits makes the eventual ask feel natural to both sides.
ReframeYou're not 'networking'. You're being a decent professional peer in public. That's the whole trick.