Why Networking Changed Everything (And How to Actually Do It)
10x your career and your social circle
Networking isn’t just good for your career—it’s transformative for your mental health and social circles. I’ve had conversations with the designer of the iPhone, Jack Weatherford (author of The Making of the Modern World), and incredible tech investors. All from cold emails.
Here’s what actually works:
The Cold Email Formula
Start with genuine appreciation. Tell them what you admire about their work and what you’re hoping to learn from them. Be specific—generic flattery gets deleted.
Cut the fluff. Skip “I hope this email finds you well” and “I hope your week is going great.” Get to the point. Respect their time by being direct.
Follow up with gentle persistence. When someone doesn’t respond, don’t overthink it. Just add a simple: “How’s your week going?” or “How’s your day?” That’s it.
Here’s the mindset shift that changed everything for me: Harry Stebbings (20VC) emailed Marc Benioff, founder of Salesforce, 53 times before getting a response. Read the full story here.
Now I think of 53 as my baseline. And guess what? I usually hear back much faster. The guilt around follow-ups completely disappeared.
Timing matters less than you think. I avoid Mondays when people are swamped, and I like weekend outreach when people have more mental bandwidth. But honestly, if someone’s interested, they’ll respond whenever they see it.
Beyond Cold Emails
Work on personal projects. Interesting people love people who are doing things. Don’t overthink what the project should be—learning an academic topic, building a product, anything that genuinely excites you. When you’re creating something, your outreach becomes an invitation to collaborate, not just an ask.
Build your cold outreach muscle. I used to feel self-conscious about emailing strangers. Now I do it constantly. It’s made me better at just doing things instead of waiting for permission.
Get on X (Twitter). Hands down the easiest platform for networking. Be a reply person—engage more than you consume. I’ve found collaborators and friends just from showing up in conversations. Public engagement builds credibility that private emails can’t.
Start a podcast. The ROI on this has been incredible for me. There’s something powerful about spending an hour sharing life journeys—it creates genuine bonds. I’ve gained mentors, investors, and picked up habits from every founder and designer I’ve interviewed.
Keep your setup minimal. Focus on learning, not views. Too many smart people never start because they’re scared of the cold start. I’ve gotten amazing opportunities and friendships from podcasting with small audiences. The views don’t matter—the conversations do.
Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Just start.
Have questions about career growth or product design? Email me at sandra@koi-capital.com. I’m here for you, friends.