Why the Most Connected Founders I Know Don't Do Networking, They Build Rooms
I stopped going to networking events years ago. And I've introduced more people to more deals than anyone I know. Here's the shift that changed everything.
Marina Jaubert
Founder, Ascend to Bali
In this article
- Marina's philosophy on connection as strategy
- The difference between collecting contacts and building rooms
- Why curation matters more than volume
- The compounding effect of the right relationships
- How to start building your own room
There's a difference between collecting contacts and building rooms. The founders who lead their industries understand this, and it changes how they move through the world.
The founders I know who are most connected do not go to networking events. They build rooms.
There is a specific kind of person who shows up at every event in Bali, collects contacts, follows up with a generic LinkedIn request, and wonders why none of it is moving their business forward. And there is another kind, quieter, more deliberate, who hosts a dinner, invites eight specific people, and leaves with three things that actually change the trajectory of their year.
The philosophy: connection as strategy
Most people treat networking as a transactional activity, give to get, follow up, stay top of mind. That framework is not wrong exactly, but it is small. It optimises for contacts when what you actually need is trust.
Trust is not built in a follow-up email. It is built in rooms where people are honest, where they say what they actually think, where they ask for help without performing confidence they do not have. Those rooms do not exist by accident. Someone has to create them.
The most valuable thing you can build is not a network. It is a reputation for being the kind of person who makes other people better.
Collecting contacts vs building rooms
- ✦A contact is someone who knows your name. A room is where someone vouches for you.
- ✦Contacts are collected. Rooms are curated.
- ✦You can have 10,000 contacts and no one in your corner. You can have 50 people in your room and never have to look for a deal again.
Why curation matters more than volume
Curation asks: who specifically belongs in this room and why? What happens when these people meet? This is why I am selective about every Connect & Co-Create event. Not because exclusivity is a brand position, but because the room only works if every person in it belongs there. One wrong presence changes the energy for everyone.
The compounding effect of the right relationships
Person A meets Person B at a dinner. Person B introduces them to Person C. Person C refers them to a client. That client becomes their biggest account. None of it would have started without the room. This does not happen with cold outreach. It happens in rooms where the level of trust is high enough that people vouch for each other with their own reputation on the line.
How to start building your own room
- ✦Start with eight people you already know and respect. Invite them to dinner with no agenda except a good conversation.
- ✦Be intentional about who you introduce to whom. An introduction is a use of your trust, treat it as one.
- ✦Show up consistently. The room only exists if you keep creating it.
- ✦Give without tracking. The return on room-building is real and compounding, but it is not immediate.
If you are in Bali and want to experience what a properly curated room feels like, the next step is to apply for Connect & Co-Create. Come to one dinner. You will understand immediately what I mean.
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