The Start-Up of You

Physical proximity is actually one of the best predictors of the strength of a relationship, many studies show.

Some people hesitate to ask too many questions because they fear it will make them look ignorant. It won’t. It’ll make you look like a curious, intelligent person hungering for valuable information.

Third, people can filter information you get from other sources. People can tell you which books to read; which parts of the article are important; which search results to ignore; which people to trust or not trust. People help focus your attention on the intelligence that’s actionable and relevant. In an age of information overload, this is an incredibly valuable benefit.

Finally, many people simply think better thoughts when in dialogue with others. Remember IWe: an individual’s power is raised exponentially with the help of a network. This is partly because when information moves back and forth between knowledgeable people who care, the signal strengthens. Two (or more) well-coordinated brains beat one every time.

Stockpiling facts won’t get you anywhere. What will get you somewhere is being able to access the information you need, when you need it.

Bill Gates wrote: “The most meaningful way to differentiate your company from your competition, the best way to put distance between you and the crowd, is to do an outstanding job with information. How you gather, manage, and use information will determine whether you win or lose.”

If you want to increase your opportunity flow, join and participate in as many of these groups and associations as possible.

Peabody says, “The best way to ensure that lucky things happen is to make sure a lot of things happen.”4 Make things happen, and in the long run, you’ll design your own serendipity, and make your own opportunities.

The value and strength of your network are not represented in the number of contacts in your address book. What matters are your alliances, the strength and diversity of your trust connections, the freshness of the information flowing through your network, the breadth of your weak ties, and the ease with which you can reach your second- or third-degree connections.

strong connections provide depth, of course, which is why these more intimate alliances are the most important kind of bond. But they can also be helpful for breadth in ways weak ties cannot. Your stronger connections are more likely to happily introduce you to new people—to your second- and third-degree connections. Weak connections, while valuable sources of new information, will not usually introduce you to other people unless they have a compelling transactional reason

Strong connections optimize trust because there’s likely overlap in belief systems and communication styles. Weak connections help find creative solutions by introducing new information and resources from other social circles.