Networking Arbitrage: The Comment

by Sam on February 4, 2010

As I have noted before, I feel that the quality of my online interactions with other individuals has been dropping.

I no longer use Twitter as a conversation medium with friends because Twitter has changed. I don’t really like instant messaging because I find it distracting; when I’m in front of my computer I want to focus on the task at hand. On Facebook I tend not to get solicited much due to my privacy settings.

Which leads me to a recent conclusion…the best way to engage with someone, especially if for the purposes of networking, is to leave thoughtful comments on their blog.

Unlike all the services I mentioned above, if person blogs and uses a commenting service like Disqus, you’re pretty much guaranteed they will receive your comment. Email gets ignored. Calls go straight to voicemail. Comments get responded to.

Commenting on someone’s blog accomplishes so much:

  • you engage someone on their turf and in a very non-invasive way
  • comments tend to have a high response rate, it’s likely you’ll get a reciprocated comment back
  • comments let you showcase critical reasoning and smarts
  • regular commenting is a sign that you value the other person’s opinions; that won’t go unnoticed

Keep in mind, networking by commenting is not about cold calling someone, or leaving 20 comments in 24 hours.

Comment are about establishing a relationship with someone that you can later turn into an in-person meeting. It’s the next best thing to a warm introduction. Personally, I’m guilty of having forgotten the value of comments: I used to comment frequently, but stopped several years back as comments were a mess. Now, with more folks authoring great niche blogs and coupled with the awesomeness of service like Disqus, I’m back on the bandwagon.

Note: good thoughts on a related note by Mark Suster, Comments are the New Black

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I loved the quote below from Howard Lindzon. No matter the vertical, links are the currency of the web.

The ‘Now’ web is all about links, and the financial community is all about fresh ideas. Stocktwits streams can move pretty quickly especially in fast markets.  Therefore, some level of aggregation is a welcome tool for many users.  While aggregation tools continue to evolve, curation remains a crucial component.

Blending the two is where art and science meet.

I’ve also really been really enjoying Howard’s interviews with leading financial thinkers such as Paul Kedrosky, Chris Dixon and Michael Parekh. Whoever thought up the whole “hedge fund manager or porn star” bit deserves a raise!

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No Facebook IPO in 2010: The Writing Was On the Wall

January 26, 2010

As I pointed out in a tweet a week ago — the fact that Dave Morin left Facebook seemed a clear signal to me that Facebook would not IPO in 2010. It’s awesome that Dave is pursuing his dream, but also says something interesting when you read between the lines.
My Tweet:

News Story One Week Later:

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Why I Share and Why You Will Too

January 25, 2010

My good friend Mike authored a great post tonight on “behavior generated content.” An all-star cast followed up with great comments (@lessin, @andyweissman, @jonsteinberg, @ericfriedman and others). It’s worth a read.
A comment Jon Steinberg made struck a chord with me:
“it’s more an overall issue of people sharing more and the line being further public than [...]

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Esther Dyson on Identifying Tension Points

January 15, 2010

From the most recent GOOD Magazine:
Esther Dyson notices the present in a way others don’t. Take a building, for example. “One will say it’s red with two stories,” she says. “Another will say it’s made out of wood, two hundred years old, with a pointed roof. And I will say, ‘Here’s the building. This is [...]

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Best Startup Interview of 2009: Eventbrite

January 1, 2010

More than reading blogs, I love watching videos of entrepreneurs as they discuss their specific strategies and business models. Overall, I find video to be much more candid and revealing. This interview between Michael Arrington, Eventbrite co-founders, Kevin & Julia Hartz and Sequoia Partner, Roelof Botha was my favorite of 2009

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The Coming Facebook Gold Rush

December 29, 2009

I recently discovered an awesome new blog – For Entrepreneurs, written by David Skok at Matrix Partners. One of the best posts I have read in some time is David’s post titled, Startup Killer: The Cost of Customer Acquisition.
The (in)ability to acquire customers is something I have personal experience with and have resolved to maniacally [...]

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What Startups Can Learn from Lady Gaga

December 27, 2009

Being home for the Holidays means lots of driving in my family. Driving, in turn, means listening to the radio. Right now, listening to the radio means listening to Lady Gaga. As both my sisters are big fans, I started doing some research into the Gaga phenomenon and have been utterly amazed at both the [...]

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Do We Still Feel Fine or Are We Facing a Digital Crisis?

December 21, 2009

Jonathan Harris has released his first book, We Feel Fine: An Almanac of Human Emotions based on his astounding digital work of art with partner, Sep Kamvar. I have written about WeFeelFine.org here and here.
Being the Holidays and all, I highly recommend purchasing this book for anyone who is passionate about the intersection of art, [...]

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Please Help the Cause: It’s for the Kids

October 29, 2009

Update: We raised the money within 48 hours! Thanks so much to everyone who contributed (9 donations). Awesome.
Usually I steer clear of posting personal things on this blog, but I wanted to ask for support in helping a great cause.
My youngest sister is part of Teach for America. She’s spent the last year and a [...]

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