The Best Networking Doesn’t Feel Like Networking
DESIGN
The Best Networking Doesn’t Feel Like Networking
A headline about Eric Schmidt’s reported stake in Anthropic has been circulating with a neat explanation for his career: he has “next-level networking skills.”
The story is more interesting than that, and more useful if you’re building a business.
Bloomberg reported that Schmidt owns around 1% of Anthropic after investing tens of millions of dollars in its 2021 Series A. Those details come from people familiar with the matter; Schmidt and Anthropic declined to comment. The reporting also connects two earlier relationship stories: Cami Clark introduced Schmidt to Anthropic’s leadership, and Schmidt has said a shared interest in Burning Man helped him connect with Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. [1] [2] [3]
That can sound like a sequence of lucky rooms and impressive contacts. But networking isn’t simply getting into the room. It’s what happens before, during and after the introduction.
A shared interest can open a door
Schmidt joined Google in 2001. He has credited his shared interest in Burning Man as one factor in connecting with Page and Brin. It’s a useful detail, but not the whole story: Schmidt was appointed Google’s CEO after the founders had already been looking for leadership to help the company grow. [3] [4]
A shared interest can make a first conversation easier. It gives people something human to talk about before they get to business. But affinity is an opening, not a substitute for ability. A relationship becomes valuable when people find that they can trust one another’s judgment and work.
An introduction carries someone else’s trust
The Anthropic story offers another lesson. The Wall Street Journal reported that Clark introduced Schmidt to Dario Amodei as Anthropic was getting started in early 2021. Bloomberg later reported Schmidt’s early investment in the company. [1] [2]
An introduction is more than exchanging contact details. It’s a small act of endorsement. The person making it is saying, in effect, “There’s a reason these two people should know each other.”
Good connectors make thoughtful introductions because they understand both sides. They know what each person is working on, why a conversation might help and whether the timing makes sense. They provide enough context for the conversation to get somewhere.
Networking is relationship maintenance
The viral version turns networking into a string of high-status encounters. A more practical view is that relationships grow over time. You stay curious about people’s work. You remember what they care about. You make useful introductions when there’s a real reason. You follow up—and when someone helps you, you close the loop.
That applies as much to a small business as it does to Silicon Valley. A former colleague can become a client. A podcast guest can introduce you to a founder. A customer can become the source of a story that helps another customer trust you. Those outcomes rarely come from asking everyone you meet for something. They come from being consistently useful and easy to trust.
Four ways to make networking more useful
Build context before you need a favor. Keep up with people’s work. Reach out with a specific reason, not a request that could have gone to anyone.
Make introductions with care. Explain why each person may benefit, ask permission when appropriate, and give them enough context to continue the conversation.
Bring something real to the relationship. Share an insight, make a relevant connection or offer a useful platform. It doesn’t need to be grand. It needs to be timely and sincere.
Follow through. Send the thank-you. Make the promised introduction. Tell the connector how the conversation went. Reliability turns a one-time exchange into a relationship.
For public relations, this principle matters too. A relationship with a journalist, podcast host or event organizer is not a guarantee of coverage. The work is to understand what they need and bring them something relevant, credible and useful to their audience.
The headline version of this story is that Eric Schmidt may make billions from an early investment. The networking version is that he crossed paths with people who trusted him, saw a reason to connect him with an opportunity and had enough context to make the introduction meaningful.
That isn’t a networking trick. It’s a long-term practice: build real relationships before the moment when they might matter, then treat every introduction as someone else’s trust placed in your hands.
Before your next networking event, ask: Who in the room would benefit from knowing each other—and what context could I provide to make that introduction worthwhile?