There is one thing I have learned during my networking workshop last month and which I have kept thinking about ever since.
It goes as follows: when considering one’s goals, life priorities or ambitions, we can model one’s personal network using four broad / approximate categories along two axes.
One axis clusters people whom we are close to, who are invested emotionally in our success, vs. people who are more distant. For example, friends and family would fall in the first group, acquaintances and distant relatives in the other. Coworkers can be in either depending on how the relationship has developed.
The other axis clusters people who fundamentally understand the project / goals / values / ambitions under consideration, vs those who do not. For example, a coworker might deeply understand my work-related project while a close relative might not; my childhood friend might understand my values deeply while my coworker doesn’t, etc.
This gives us four categories, with extremely impactful differences in how they relate to our endeavors.
Like this, for example for a work-related project:
--------------+-----------------+--------------
| emotionally | not
| invested in | emotionally
| success | invested
--------------+-----------------+--------------
deeply | business | competitor,
understands | partner | coworker
--------------+-----------------+--------------
does not | spouse, | childhood
deeply | parents | friend
understand | |
--------------+-----------------+--------------
Another example, when the endeavor is to plan long-term care for an elderly relative:
--------------+-----------------+--------------
| emotionally | not
| invested in | emotionally
| success | invested
--------------+-----------------+--------------
deeply | siblings, | healthcare
understands | spouse | provider
--------------+-----------------+--------------
does not | business | coworker
deeply | partner |
understand | |
--------------+-----------------+--------------
More generally, this model gives us the following labels:
--------------+-----------------+--------------
| emotionally | not
| invested in | emotionally
| success | invested
--------------+-----------------+--------------
deeply | AMBASSADOR | DJ
understands | |
--------------+-----------------+--------------
does not | SYMPATHIZERS | FIGURANTS
deeply | |
understand | |
--------------+-----------------+--------------
Ambassadors are special and invaluable because they autonomously amplify our story and care about doing it the right way. They are a source of strength and make us able to achieve far more than we can do alone, even when they do not participate directly. True ambassadors are rare, but a project or life change can be successful with only very few ambassadors.
(Fun side thought: think about the important things going on in your life right now. Who are your ambassadors?)
They key insight (for me at least) is that the work needed to turn a sympathizer into an ambassador is radically different from the work needed to turn a “DJ” into an ambassador.
In the first case, sympathizers already have appetite for bite-sized stories about what we do, to learn about us and talk about it with their friends. With just a bit of transparency, it is very realistic to expect them to evolve towards becoming ambassador on their own.
In the second case, changing anything there is all about relationship building and connecting with the “DJ” at an emotional level. It may not work because of a personality mismatch; but it might also just work by setting up an incentive structure that makes us mutually interested in a shared goal.
In the search for ambassadors, it is nearly always a losing proposition to hope for quality support from “figurants”. But it is still useful to maintain / develop a relationship with them. This is because perhaps there is a hidden shared interest or connection yet undiscovered, which means they are not “figurants” after all. But this discovery is only made possible by creating new opportunities to learn about each other, i.e. through continuously trying new types of shared activities.
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Another workshop I participated in from the incubator program was focused on branding (in the context of marketing). What brands are, what they mean, and the relationship between company value, mission and vision (as it pertains to brands).
One thing I found particularly insightful is the gradual spiritual elevation of branding through the 20th century.
Until the end of the 19th century, “traditional” brands dominated. These mark a product or a shop. They are a mark for things and locations. Think here about the brand of your favorite artisanal cheese at the farmer’s market. These brands are subject to the people around them.
In the first third of the 20th century, “modern” brands evolved, to describe groups. Think here about a brand like General Motors or Mercedes, or even like the Rotary Club or Amex. Modern brands describe an overarching product line, company or concept, not a single product or location any more. They may also have events and certain social norms. The brand exists as a controlled community, and members can join (and exit) it under supervision of its controlling entity.
In the second half of the 20th century, “post-modern” brands evolved, which foster individuality. Think here about brands like Apple, Gucci, Nike. Post-modern brands are an instrument for the individual to enrich their own life and express themselves.
Then at the turn of the 21th century, we got “network” brands. They are also nowadays often referred to as “communities”; think here about organizations like Yes Theory or interest-based subreddits. These brands emerge from the growing association between their community members, they do not lead it.
Ostensibly, the workshop asked this question: what type of brand do you want to develop in your own business? It is indeed fundamental and something I had not thought about yet, and so I felt grateful for the challenge.
Meanwhile, however, this framing as a gradual spiritual elevation also made me curious. What will come next? There will surely be another evolution of brands in the future, and I cannot wait to see what it will be.
is an entrepreneur who occasionally publishes field notes on systems, leadership, and the messy edge between technology and people.
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