20A – Growing Your Social Capital

1) One person must be a domain expert in your industry. This would be someone who's engaged in the same type of business activity as you would like to be. They may own the same kind of company that you would like to own, or they may be a technical expert who knows a lot about the kind of product or service that you would like to produce.

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Manager of Petco

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Domain Expert

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I asked for the manager of the Petco I was in.

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

The favor was talking to me, and after my questions were answered, I would leave her alone.

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

This person would have a closer connection to the upper parts of Petco to get attention to the products my company would be producing.

2) One person must be an expert on your market. This would be someone who is targeting your market with similar products services -- or knows a lot about conducting customer research in your area -- or represents a major piece of your market (this might be most applicable with B2B markets).

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Salesman at PetSupermarket

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Market Expert

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I walked into Pet Supermarket and asked a worker to talk to me about my products.

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

In exchange for sharing my idea, he would give feedback on the validity and success of the idea.

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

This person allows me to better understand the market of pet lovers.

3) One person must be an important supplier to your industry. This would be someone who is selling products and services to other organizations/firms in your industry. 

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Supplier for PetSmart

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Supplier: this is a supplier for PetSmart

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

Researched owner of doggo and found an email on their website. I sent an email to them.

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

I have not received a response.

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

They would allow me to learn more about how to supply to large pet retailers.