20A - Growing Your Social Capital

20A - Growing Your Social Capital

Domain Expert:

1. Who they are, what their background is:
1. Joe, he is a software expert and has business that helps people to create websites and app.

2. How this person is a “domain expert”:
1. He is very good with the creating of apps and writing code. He has created many apps throughout his career thus far and believes that my idea is definitely capable of being brought to the market.

3. How I found and contacted this person:
1. I have know Joe's brother for many because we went to high school together so it was relatively easy to get into contact.

4. Nature of Exchange: What they did for me, what is the return expectation:
1. He talked me through all the steps of creating such a software and the details that go into it. It was a laid back type of exchange but also one that was very informative for me.

5. How will including them enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity:
1. By networking with Joe it will allow for me to actually reach out to people in the software industry and have legit contacts if I were to try and put such an idea into production.

Market Expert:

1. Who they are, what their background is:
1. Nicholas, he is an expert with cars as he helps to do safety testing/ sales with Toyota in my area.

2. How this person is a “market expert”:
1. He is involved every day with customers and other industry experts her desire to be the absolute safest on the roadways.

3. How I found and contacted this person:
1. Where purchasing a car at the local Toyota dealership I met him and was able to contact him again for this assignment.

4. Nature of Exchange: What they did for me, what is the return expectation:
1. It was quite casual and happened over the phone. He was very intrigued by the idea that I had and said that it was something that could for sure help make the roadways much safer.
5. How will including them enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity:
1. Including him in my network would all for me to have an in with a company such as Toyota as well and a way to maybe to some testing on my product as well.

Industry Supplier:

1. Who they are, what their background is:
1. Ricky Espinoza.
2. How this person is a “industry supplier”:
1. Rickey works for a local company in the social media marketing department. He specifically handles the app. He helps to solves technical issues with the app as well as help to market the app to perspective customers as well.

3. How I found and contacted this person:
1. Ricky is someone that I met while in Junior College and have remained in contact with off and on ever since.

4. Nature of Exchange: What they did for me, what is the return expectation:
1. We communicated via text. He was able to understand what my general idea was with this company and the direction I desired to take it in. He was able to give me some helpful pointers and give me some guidance based upon his experience.

5. How will including them enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity:
1. This exchange brought me some peace of mind in knowing that what I am trying to do with this business idea is actually capable of happening. It will allow for me to have someone with knowledge like his in my corner as I continue on in the process.

Finally: Reflect. This experience requires you to do a little 'targeted networking.' How will this experience shape how you participate in any future networking events? Did this experience differ from your networking experiences in the past? How?

• Targeted marketing is not easy. I thought that getting into contact with people would be relatively simple, but as work and daily life consume most of peoples time it is hard to get in contact and have the necessary time needed to discuss all of the topics. I am glad that I started this assignment early because I was able to get all the information I needed. This has also allowed for me to see the benefit of networking and knowing the right people. This is something that I will no doubt have to get better at in the future too because a lot of the times it is not about what you know but rather who you know.