Social Networks and the Importance of “Who You Know”

Via Strategy-business.com -

The old bromide is truer than ever. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. And it’s especially who knows you. The emergence and influence of a whole new breed of social networks is a rapidly growing phenomenon. Moreover, a number of people are paying attention to social networks — not just anthropologists, but historians, business leaders, and a host of teenagers.

In large part, we can thank — or blame — the Internet. Despite its vast size and complexity, the Internet has turned out to be a profoundly personal venue. People around the globe are forming connections based on every conceivable common interest, from the serious and practical to the outright silly. In 2005, the 80-million-member networking Web site MySpace, a gathering place where people introduce themselves publicly to friends and strangers, received more page views than Google. And the movement continues to grow.

[...]

Mr. Gladwell identifies three types of social networkers: Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen. Mavens love to gather knowledge and pass it on to others: Mr. Gladwell describes one Maven who didn’t just recommend a Volvo to a colleague, he accompanied him when he went to buy one to ensure he got the best deal. The Maven likes to exercise expertise and be helpful.

Connectors seem to know everyone. They can get information where it needs to go because they just love to connect. Paul Revere, best known for rallying Middlesex, Mass., farmers with his cry, “The British are coming!” in the Revolutionary War, was a classic Connector, with a knack for knowing and attracting people. Had the silversmith been less gregarious, argues Mr. Gladwell, then the colonists might have lost.

Salesmen can be great persuaders. They are irresistibly positive; their ideas and attitudes are infectious. In effect, their positive emotions transmit to other people. Mr. Gladwell gives the example of Tom Gau, a financial planner in southern California, who made a ridiculously low bid on a new home, yet persuaded the seller to accept it. When these three types of people interact in the context of a social network, little ideas can turn into big deals with astonishing speed.

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I am currently working as a pen-tester for an international financial institution in Austin TX. I didn't learn about this job from Monster.com or from the paper....a friend in the UK told me about the opening. I passed my resume to him and he sent it back to TX...which got me the interview.

I met this friend 2-3 years old again while on the Full Disclosure security mailing list...and we have never met in real life. I have only spoken with him on the phone once....

So if anyone can tell you how true the above story is...it is me.