It is less likely that you would give $10 to somebody you don’t know. Similarly it is less likely that investors, employers, bankers or even service providers will treat us any differently if we don’t come with a recommendation. Or should I say life becomes a lot easier when you know people who know people…who know people. In today’s world one’s real net worth is one’s network.

In short, building a network net worth starts by becoming more likeable through one’s qualities and activities. As much as people like gossiping, people love to share things they love. So if you make a positive impression, and can be consistent over time, you develop a reputation. The converse is also true. So the question that converts your reputation to revenue is “Do they trust you enough to believe your promises?”.

Credibility in a Relationship begins with trustworthiness leading to respect, leading to love. Not necessarily conjugal love, but love that trusted friends develop over time. Imagine a network where people trust you enough to hire somebody just because you recommended. I have experience being hired and having hired someone through that process. This can really boost your credibility given it is a good quality referral. So be selective when recommending someone.

So once you have a network, use it to connect people in the network who might benefit from knowing each other. Like connecting an investor to an inventor. The richer and more relevant the connections, the more net worth you gain. I have learnt this from Harper Reed.

Harper has a massive network. He is constantly helping out his friends by understanding their needs and connecting them to the most relevant people in his network. He is super popular in the tech community and eventually ended by becoming the CTO for the Obama Campaign. What goes around, comes around!