Spent 2 years ignoring networking at conferences, finally tried it at a local one last month

Always thought those meet-and-greets were just awkward small talk, but after chatting with a guy at the coffee station who ended up sending me a lead for a side gig, I'm wondering if I've been missing out on actual opportunities this whole time - has anyone else had a random conversation pay off like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant72814d ago

Dude "luck you can't plan for" is the most accurate thing I've ever heard, but like in a frustrating way. I've been in the same boat where I was grabbing a bagel at a conference and some random guy asked me about my laptop sticker. That turned into a 2 hour chat and a referral for a contract that paid my rent for 3 months. So yeah, it's basically like winning the lottery except you actually have to talk to people with coffee breath to get the ticket. Honestly the whole thing feels like a weird dating app for jobs except you have to smell the person first.

ericschmidt14d ago

Man that's the kind of luck you can't plan for.

gavin_kim312d ago

Grabbed a coffee at a random cafe near my old job and just ended up chatting with the guy next to me about the weather. Turned out he owned a small web design shop and needed help. I was there for like an hour drinking bad coffee and talking about my projects. He gave me his card and I started freelancing for him a week later. It was totally random but I had to be willing to just talk to a stranger. That one conversation changed my whole side hustle.