My last networking mixer at a Buckhead bar backfired hard.

Got talking to a guy for 20 minutes only to realize he was selling essential oils and had zero interest in my tech startup, so how do you guys vet who to actually talk to at these events?

3 comments

3 Comments

colegarcia11d ago

I just walk up and ask straight out what they do for money within the first 30 seconds. If they get vague or start talking about "opportunities" or "helping people transform their lives," that's your cue to say "nice meeting you" and walk. I also scan the room first for name tags with actual company logos and look for people who look just as lost as I feel, those are usually the real entrepreneurs.

jackson.max11d ago

Twenty minutes? That’s rough. I would have been looking for an escape route by the five minute mark once he started talking about the “cleansing power of lavender.” You really have to ask what they do for a living within the first two minutes, and if they dodge the question or start talking about “wellness” you know to bail fast.

thomasb4111d ago

Bro my buddy actually fell for one of those "wellness" pitch nights once. He ended up buying a full set of essential oils and a "frequency harmonizer" that was just a box with blinking lights. I told him to return it the next day but he said he needed to "honor the exchange." The guy who sold it to him was wearing hemp sandals and had a LinkedIn that just said "spiritual entrepreneur.