Networking Tips for Entrepreneurs

For the last two years I lived in Stockholm and studied as a master student at ICT Entrepreneurship. In my opinion networking is the crucial part of entrepreneurship. I am not an experienced entrepreneur, who made billions of dollars, but still I have some recommendations for you. These are my stories as a young entrepreneur in Stockholm and may be you will not agree with me. Let’s get started;

 

Lessons Learned 1: Be active but not over-active

Some friends of mine, who runs after people to collect their business cards and mail addresses, generally see that people only once. I think this is really disturbing and has no value inside. As a young entrepreneur I sometimes feel that people do not pay enough attention to me since I do not have a lot to offer them. But, once you show them the energy and sympathy it will be easy for you to have good connections with them. So, there is no need to run after people to get their contact details. They will never get back to you.

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Gartner’s Hype Cycle

Gartner’s Hype Cycle is a graphic representation of the maturity, adoption and business application of specific technologies. This framework tries to provide opinions, advice and data on the global information technology industry if they should invest in some technology or not at the moment.

From here you can find an example document, where i try to position the PC-Based Open Source Networking business. Download the document.

A hype cycle in Gartner’s interpretation comprises 5 steps:

1. Technology Trigger — The first phase of a hype cycle is the “technology trigger” or breakthrough, product launch or other event that generates significant press and interest.
2. Peak of Inflated Expectations — In the next phase, a frenzy of publicity typically generates over-enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations. There may be some successful applications of a technology, but there are typically more failures.
3. Trough of Disillusionment — Technologies enter the “trough of disillusionment” because they fail to meet expectations and quickly become unfashionable. Consequently, the press usually abandons the topic and the technology.
4. Slope of Enlightenment — Although the press may have stopped covering the technology, some businesses continue through the “slope of enlightenment” and experiment to understand the benefits and practical application of the technology.
5. Plateau of Productivity — A technology reaches the “plateau of productivity” as the benefits of it become widely demonstrated and accepted. The technology becomes increasingly stable and evolves in second and third generations. The final height of the plateau varies according to whether the technology is broadly applicable or benefits only a niche market.

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PC Based Open-Source Networking

In the 1990s the computing industry shifted from expensive proprietary systems to open systems based on standard, low-cost hardware. This move changed a 20-year pattern of IT buying and deployment models. Some of the biggest IT buyers, like universities and research centers, also started to look for better, flexible and cheaper IT solutions.

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