2019 is the year of the network. Whether you’re networking to further your career or you want to meet new people to expand your horizons—we network because we need to get something done and we can’t do it alone. But don’t be fooled by the allure of open bar parties and hiking Meetups to get your network on,  efficient networking isn’t merely partying, it takes hard work.

Networking at its core is a transaction: the person we want to meet has something we want, and we offer something of value to them in return. So we have to figure out what they may want from us and we have to figure out what we want from them, and finally we have to approach the situation in a way that isn’t aggressive, annoying–or worse–unsuccessful. Therein lies the work. While it may be uncomfortable to consider relationships to be work based on a transaction, the lack of a strong network can make or break your business, delay your growth, or  stymie your career.

That’s why I’m proud to kick off the new year with the announcement of Zuckerberg Institute – a master class community for entrepreneurs to connect with business leaders and mentors to scale their ideas with those who’ve already built successful companies. Here with me to discuss the launch of Zuckerberg Institute are co-founders Brian Patrick Murphy and Michael Littig.

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