

Ask HN: How to network effectively at conferences? - jackkinsella

I'm going to a conference next week with the intention of  generating possible leads for freelance work and meeting potential co-founders.<p>Has anyone any advice on how to best go about this? I'm looking for good networking tips.
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acknickulous
One thing I've learned is you need to have a 'mission'. You have to want to do
X and describe yourself as someone who does X. If you are just wandering
around telling people, "I'm a programmer...and like to do web stuff" etc. it's
too vague. Definitely have an idea/project you are working on and present
yourself as working on it.

I guess it seems obvious--but for awhile I used to just float around at
conferences just looking for interesting opportunities....but people won't
really reveal them to you if they don't know what you do.

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russjhammond
You can certainly do as some suggest and have a target list, which I have done
before, but find to be very exhausting. I personally prefer all the casual
connections.

For example at SXSW this year I got more business cards from people that I
shared rickshaw rides with then any other way. The same goes for cab rides or
shuttle rides you share with people.

You are stuck with each other for 5 minutes so just strike up a conversation.
Yes its a little more random and less targeted but it is also more natural, so
even if they don't need you they may pass your card to someone else who does
because you weren't _that guy_.

Also, if its a busy conference or one that essentially takes over a whole
hotel or area like SXSW where pretty much everyone you pass by is at the
conference, just hang out on a couch or bench in the hotel lobby. Tons of
people will come by and ask if the seat is taken. Kindly let them know it is
not and strike up a friendly conversation like you would in the cab or
shuttle.

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triviatise
1) if there is a list of attendees, try to setup meetings in advance via
email. 2) have a very short message, just a couple of sentences for what you
do. If you do two things, you really need to focus on just one of them. 3)
after you meet someone write down, on their card, key points of the
discussion. If you meet enough people you simply wont remember them later 4)
be genuinely interested in what they have to say (listen) 5) you will need to
be proactive about meeting people 6) Follow up with emails afterwards. 7) try
to process the cards every day for that day. 8) dont get drunk and lose all
the cards

I can meet about 20 people a day.

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jackkinsella
I've done some further research and found:

1) Have quantifiable goals - e.g. give 20 elevator pitches/day & get business
cards.

2) Follow the conference hashtag on Twitter and tweet during and after the
conference to gain exposure.

3) Arrive early for pre-conference networking.

4) Drink lots of water, try to exercise and get some sleep so as to keep your
energy high.

5) Remember that sessions etc. are a lower priority than meeting people -
especially if the sessions are recorded.

6) Scribble down some details about each conversation so that it's easier to
reconnect in follow ups.

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martinshen
If you're shy... and if it's appropriate.. wear a shirt or sign that says
you're a developer. Many people who go to conferences are looking to chat and
find developers.

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bdclimber14
One trick I do is to have an _inbox_ and _outbox_ for your business cards,
e.g. left and right pockets.

I've embarrassingly given someone a card I had received prior. Mixing received
cards with your own makes for awkward fumbling as you pull out a business card
to hand someone.

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ig1
Not really relevant in your case but I found giving a talk a good option :)

After I gave a talk at an unconference I ended up with a queue of about a
dozen people wanting to talk to me.

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SoftwarePatent
Don't let yourself spend too much time with any single person. Say, "I guess
we should both keep working the room", exchange business cards, and move on.

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bdclimber14
I wonder why someone down-voted this. I believe this is a great piece of
advice. At events, I frequently get stuck talking to people who aren't
beneficial to me (and I'm not beneficial to them), and loose opportunities
with others.

I typically just say "Hey, well it was great talking with you..." and it ends
naturally.

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derrida
Saying "Hello" to people works well.

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jackkinsella
That's not exactly helpful. I wouldn't have expected that kind of sarcasm on
Hacker News. There is an art and science to networking effectively and the
point of my question was to tap into the collective knowledge of this forum
for help.

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phenning
I didn't quite understand if you are the freelancer or if you are the non-tech
founder looking for a tech co-founder. I'm a single non-tech founder of a
startup looking for a tech co-founder and I've read a lot lately about how to
connect. If you are like me, I can tell you what I've learned.

~~~
jackkinsella
I'm both. I'm a single (tech & non tech) founder of my company. I'll need to
freelance in the summer as my business is seasonal.

I'm looking for ways to make the right impression to both possible employers
and possible co-founder. I'm a social guy but I'm new to professional
networking and don't know how to talk shop yet.

Please share what you've learned.

~~~
phenning
I've read lots. What I've gathered isn't rocket science, but maybe it'll give
you a little direction like it did for me. First off, articles and blogs I've
read have consistently said you should 1) explain your business in one
complete, concise sentence, 2) be energetic and positive even at the end of an
11 hour day when you're exhausted 3) have experience in your field 4) be able
to show that you've put effort into doing things yourself (that you're
dedicated enough to do things yourself even when you have to learn how to do
it) 5) be open, not secretive about your idea (most don't want to steal it,
they want to know what you're worth in both content of character and idea 6)
know when to exit a conversation when someone's giving you signals that
they're not interested.

Hope that helps some. I'm also new to networking and my work is seasonal too,
so I'll be doing my networking this summer as well. Good luck. Feel free to
connect with me on twitter. @Paula_Henning

