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I tried a 'networking' event at a brewery versus a structured coworking demo day
The brewery thing was just loud and everyone was in their own friend groups, but the demo day at The Shop in Denver last Thursday had actual project shares and a sign-up sheet for skill swaps. I mean, I left with two solid contacts for a web project instead of just a headache. Anyone find a good middle ground for meeting people that isn't either too chaotic or too formal?
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skyler_johnson325mo ago
What if the problem is calling it networking at all? That word turns everything into a transaction. I just go to places where people who do my kind of work already hang out, like a specific coffee shop near the design school. You see the same faces, you talk about the bad wifi, and a real connection happens because no one showed up to "network." It's just people existing near each other, which is how you actually build something.
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path475mo ago
But is a real connection just talking about bad wifi?
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the_eric5mo ago
Wasn't that brewery scene the worst? I went to one like that last month and just stood there holding a warm beer. It felt like a bad high school dance. The structured coworking event sounds way more useful. I've had better luck with small meetups for a specific hobby, like a casual board game night at a coffee shop. You end up talking to people without the pressure of a business card swap. Maybe we just need to find things that are about doing an activity together first.
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