Networking can be awkward. You meet people, exchange LinkedIn profiles, and leave wondering whether you’ll actually speak again. There are plenty of opportunities to meet people in the same industry. Getting to know them well enough to want to see them again is what interests me.
starting with the group
With each Slow Networking dinner, I put thought into who’s at the table and what they have in common. Shared interests and experiences give people a place to start. Over dinner, those things can surface naturally, with time to follow a conversation wherever it goes.
For the first dinner on October 8, I brought a small group of early-stage investors together in San Francisco over private-chef sushi. The space felt like a home: shoes off, get comfortable, settle in. I encouraged everyone to hold off on sharing where they worked so we could get to know the people behind the LinkedIn profiles.
Joining me were Alexis Zamira Maciel, Dulcie fforde, Deirdre Clute, Shruti Merchant, and Michael Yan.
the conversation continued
During dinner, we talked shop, shared interests, and got to know one another beyond work. Some discovered new interests, while others found ways their work at their firms could benefit one another. The idea of going cold plunging came up along the way. One of the attendees organized it, and some of us went. Eventually, an attendee created a WhatsApp group for us too. It feels great to have been the catalyst for those connections.
That’s the part I’m happiest about. The group got along, wanted to spend more time together, and made it happen themselves. We’re now more than LinkedIn connections who happen to work in the same industry.
Seeing those conversations turn into plans, without me organizing the next get-together, is the outcome I’m most excited about.