On long term relationship building

The essence of who I am as a person and what I do for a living lies in relationship building.

Lately, I have realized the enormous potential of playing the long game in relationships. There is a simple question I now ask for every new person I meet: would I want them at my funeral?

Thinking this way modified my behavior, and provided a straightforward, albeit robust framework for decision making when it comes to networking. Go deep with few people rather than connecting with plenty of folks with little sagacity.

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."

— Ernest Hemingway

You don’t need formal training to be responsive, meet deadlines, and to show up on time. Pick the right people you want to go deep with and offer them value without expecting anything in return.

Be relentless. Add so much value that they don’t have another choice but to want you in their lives.

Stop spending time on social media doing small interactions with thousands of people. Go deep. Win.

ps — thanks to Jess Lee for the funeral metaphor.