Networking. You probably imagine a dated, crumbling ballroom. Sales reps try to lure you into their sketchy “business opportunity.” You munch on mystery meat that somehow passes off as “food.”
Well, startups do it differently. We don’t do it in hotels, we do it in Instagram-worthy spaces. We don’t invite sales reps, we bring actual founders and investors. And our food is edible, delicious food. Who knows that networking could be much more fun that it sounds?
Here are ten things you will love in startup networking events:
10. Lots of Learning. It’s like drinking coffee. Mabubuksan ang iyong mata. Magigising ka sa katotohanan: you (and society) deserve better. That’s why you think of…
9. Ideas. Ideas. Ideas. You realize there’s a lot of space for innovation, parang ang space sa pagitan ninyo ni crush. There’s so much market share to grab, parang ang pag-grab sa crush mo ng bes mong ahas.
8. You will meet smart people. This may sound intimidating or discouraging at first, but don’t be shy. You’re getting *free* insider knowledge. You just need the effort to speak up and ask. Effort lang talaga.
7. Meaningful connections. Talk to that person across the room. Get them a drink. Know their likes and dislikes. Ask for their number. Invite them for coffee. They might be the one, the partner* you are waiting for all this time.
*Business partner. At least in business, you don’t have to stick to one ????
6. Excitement. People here are excited about the future. Umaasa sila na may future. Pero buti pa sila, ‘di lang umaasa, sinisiguro nila na may future. They make the first moves. Eh ikaw?
5. Passion. The founders and investors here love their jobs. Kung trabaho nga mahal nila, ikaw pa kaya? That’s why they’d love to talk to you.
4. The Opportunity and Experience. One of the most emotionally triggering words in the Filipino language is “sayang.” For example, “Sayang, ‘di ko siya kinausap.” “Sayang. ‘Di naging kami.” Making sayang is sad and bad. Don’t let this opportunity be “sayang.”
3. The Fun. The people here are cool. GV GV lang mehn.
2. Free Food. Guys, it’s FREE. And it’s good!
1. BOOZE. We like it lit in our networking events. Miguel and Jose are our best friends.
We love these events so much that we decided to make our own! Come over to The Blue Bridge happening this Saturday, March 4. Doors open at 6:00 PM. For more details, you can check our event website here . See you there!
The Blue Bridge is brought to you by the AteneoStartup Alliance and the Chief Entrepreneurs’ Organization.
