Networking as Brokerage
Build power by generously connecting people and cultivating weak ties
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 90%
A reframe of networking from self-serving schmoozing into a generosity-first practice of becoming the central broker who connects people who benefit from meeting. Because knowledge is power, a broad network — especially of weak ties different from you — is the fastest route to non-redundant information, referrals, and opportunity.
Origin
Jeffrey Pfeffer, drawing on John Levy's book 'You're Invited,' Mark Granovetter's article 'The Strength of Weak Ties' and his book 'Getting a Job,' and the IKEA effect. Taught in Stanford's 'Paths to Power.'
Core principles
- 01The first principle of networking is generosity: what can I do for you, who can I introduce you to
- 02You can only introduce people if you know people — the broader your network, the more you know
- 03Brokers create value (and capture fees) by connecting parties: VCs, investment bankers, real estate agents
- 04Weak ties give access to non-redundant information because they aren't in the same place you are
- 05Networking done as connecting-for-mutual-benefit is not icky
How to run it
- 1
Make a list of 10 target people
Write down 10 people who — if you knew them and they knew you — would matter for your career goal (e.g. 10 executives in a field you want to enter).
Pro tip Tie the list directly to a concrete objective like breaking into biotech.
- 2
Plan a specific path to each person
For each name, decide how you'll actually meet them — not necessarily at networking events. Host a dinner, send a useful article, offer an introduction, reach out for lunch.
Pro tip Host dinners where guests help cook — the IKEA effect makes people value what they helped create.
- 3
Lead with generosity
Open every relationship by being useful — introduce them to someone or something valuable, share relevant knowledge — before you ever ask for anything.
Pro tip Connecting two people who each benefit earns you credit while genuinely helping both.
- 4
Become the central broker
Position yourself as the connector between groups that would benefit from being linked but currently aren't, making yourself indispensable to the flow of people and ideas.
Pro tip The more people you know, the more you'll be able to get done, since leadership is getting things done through others.
- 5
Deliberately pursue weak ties
Invest in relationships with people different from you in every dimension — they know different people and information than your close circle does.
Pro tip The best jobs are most often referred by people not especially close to you, who see into ecosystems you can't.
Watch out Strong ties (family, close colleagues) largely know what you already know, offering redundant information.
In the wild
At Netscape and making no progress, Kordestani stopped doing his assigned job and spent his time networking inside the company and across Silicon Valley. When a 10-engineer startup asked everyone for the best technically-oriented business person, his name appeared on every list.
→ He became employee number 11 at Google and made two and a half billion dollars.
Pfeffer introduced a philanthropist interested in teen depression to a Stanford researcher who had published ~300 articles on depression. One needed funding, the other needed money.
→ Both benefited, and Pfeffer earned credit for the connection — networking as mutual benefit, not an icky ask.
A study of Massachusetts job seekers found that jobs obtained through network referrals — often from weak ties — were much better than those found through formal applications.
→ Empirical support for pursuing weak ties for career opportunity.
Common mistakes
Thinking of networking as taking
Approaching it as self-promotion feels dirty; leading with 'how can I help' makes it generative and comfortable.
Only cultivating strong ties
Close contacts share your existing information, so relying on them starves you of new knowledge and opportunities.
Is it for you?
Best for
Professionals in relationship-driven fields (VC, sales, biz dev, founders) who want opportunity flow but find traditional networking cringey
Not ideal for
Someone who cannot or will not invest ongoing time in relationships and mutual help
From the transcript
“the first principle of networking is in fact generosity. It is generosity. What can I do for you? How can I be helpful? Who can…”
“the more other people you know, the more you'll be able to get done”
“So to the extent that you build ties with people who are more different from you in every dimension, you are more likely to learn…”
“Mark Granovetter, a sociologist who still teaches at Stanford, wrote a book entitled The Strength of Weak Ties.”
“Write a list of 10 people who, if you knew them and if they knew you, would be important for whatever you're trying to accomplish…”
From the episode
The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career
Jeffrey Pfeffer (author of 7 Rules of Power, professor at St