It’s not who you know, it’s who knows what you want. Expertise + Connections + Introductions = Solutions. Linkedin has made a business for this purpose, and since 2012 there’s an in-person version: Magnet. It's a laid back networking event grounded in reciprocity, tackling the conundrum:
We all love to help, but we hate asking for it. Vulnerability is a pill best taken together.
