The Money is in the Links Thomas Power, Chairman of Ecademy To be a Supernetworker is a black art and requires tremendous discipline, literally thousands of meetings and a consistently open mind. It’s hard to have an open mind when you have lots of experience, but without it, you are dead. Experience is very powerful; however, the paradox is that experience has a blinding effect on your mind. You assume you know and you don’t. You assume you understand and you don’t. You assume you have made the links and you haven’t. Remember, the money is in the links, not the nodes. Everyone perceives the money to be in the nodes, this alone is your first wrong assumption. The nodes are the people; the links are the questions you ask those people relating to another person or persons. One critical skill is to ask the right questions and then shut up and listen and make notes (make careful notes and keep them safe). It is important to listen twice as much as you speak, although I find that many folks have still not mastered this basic requirement. Remember that we are all given two ears and one mouth. Ears should be used twice as much as mouths. When asking questions it’s so easy to miss the ‘right’ question to ask. Personally, I make this mistake over and over again, even now after 20 years of practising my art. I assume I know and I don’t! Failure to ask the right question at the right time can result in massive opportunities being completely missed. I am often disgusted at myself for neglecting to ask a question that is an information-breaker, which can be a relationship-maker. I have said that the money is in the links not the nodes. What do I mean? Let’s start by asking the person next to you their background. Since I am the tenet of this networking message, let’s start by asking me about my background and then make the links. I was born in 1964 in Birmingham. Have you got the first link? I grew up in Dorking, Surrey, above a Post Office from 1969 to 1979. My father was a former Maths and History teacher but his true loves were retailing antique furniture and reading books. My father was born in 1912 in South Africa. My mother opened a retail clothes store in Dorking next door to my father’s post office. My mother was a salesperson and studied window display after the war; she was born in 1929. In the 1970s, I became a successful tennis player, winning many trophies throughout Surrey. I walked Austria as a Scout. Between 1980 and 1982 I studied A Levels in Physics, History and Maths and then went to college and studied Business and Finance and received a distinction in Marketing. During College, 1984, I needed extra money and got a job assembling hard disks for an Apple dealer. These were sold through Pete and Pam Micro, which later became P&P Distribution. I then joined an advertising agency and learned how to make TV commercials, produce brochures, run events and create awareness for brands. In 1986, I joined Sir Alan Sugar at Amstrad and learned the PC and Consumer Electronics business. Most importantly, I learned how to handle a billionaire. During my time there I also met Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and Michael Dell - before they were billionaires, of course. Like me they were just kids. In those days Mr Sugar was the Guru. By 1988, I had created my own direct marketing company and was providing services to IT companies based on direct mail, telemarketing and database management (thus my love of email and databases). In 1990, I married Penny. We have three children and live in Farnham in Surrey, England. In 1992, I sold that direct marketing company to an American market analysis company called Urban Science http://www.urbanscience.com/urban_science.asp  This remains to this day my favourite company and favourite job. It is one of the few companies in the world to achieve close to 100% market share in a super-niche. Urban Science specialises in planning retail networks for motor manufacturers. In 1994, I met the 20 year old Ajaz Ahmed who formed http://www.akqa.com/ and woke me up to the Internet. By 1995, I was part of a team of people who created and sold the world’s first Internet auction for Mercedes Benz to dispose of used cars to their dealers. Nowadays we would call this an Extranet. In 1996, again part of a team at TDS Group which became Scoot plc we created the world’s first electronic marketplace for BT using an application called Tradex that was acquired in November 1999 by Ariba for $1.9bn. In 1997, I met with Commerce One, formerly Distrivision, and opened their UK office to sell e-procurement in 1998. BT was the first client. In early 1998, Penny conceived the Ecademy as a business network and the rest, of course, is history. So the money is in the links. Can you see the links? Are the links obvious to you? Are you able to assemble something from these links? The first thing to recognise in linking is that someone’s background requires you to ask a huge number of questions. To remind you again, I said a huge number of questions (and listen to the answers and make notes). You need to listen carefully to the answers to see if you receive all the information you require to make the links. Now let’s make the links for you. I will choose words selectively that reflect my make-up and my nature. These are the critical link words in my view: Maths, History, Books, Retail, Salesperson, Tennis, Scout, Walking, Finance, Apple, Marketing, Advertising, Brand, PCs, Software, Microsoft, Dell, Direct Marketing, Database, Email, Analysis, Married, Children, Internet, Auction, Mercedes-Benz, BT, Commerce One, Procurement, (Ecademy) Network. Remember what I said: the money is in the links. There are some 30 words here that sum up the 38 years of my life in a nutshell. These 30 words reflect my personality, my manner, my nature, my approach and of course my experience. My experience is a function of what I have learned. It is not necessarily good experience or the right experience; it is simply experience, nothing more. Do not be fooled by your own experience. Do not assume you have sound or solid experience. You probably don’t - at least not without the questions and the links. Experience does not make you wise. Experience does not make you money. Experience does not help you network. Experience does help you make the links. In 30 words you can understand Thomas Power in a nutshell. Now imagine for a moment you meet 1,000 Thomas Powers each year as I do. You now have 30,000 words in your mind and in your notebook; can you see the power of this yet? These of course are just the 30,000 words related to someone’s background. They are not the 30,000 words related to the projects people are working on right now. The only reason I meet 1,000 people each year within the Ecademy network is because I recognise that by doing so I can fund the Ecademy and feed my kids. How simple is that? The money is in the links between the words. This where the money resides - not in the nodes. The money is not in the people; this is the error the whole world seems to make continually. Do not chase transactions and deals; ask questions and trace and chase the links between the words. The attractiveness of seeing so many people is the appeal and mental stimulation created from linking 30,000 words together. Then add in a further 30,000 words based around their projects and you have a business with a revenue stream combined with a pleasant and healthy life. Networking on this scale is tremendously positive for your mind and your soul. Everyday I feel good knowing I am going to meet another five or six people. Networking is a truly pleasurable experience for both parties involved who are effectively swapping words, although we call this word- swapping "sharing experience" or "listening to one another’s trials and tribulations". But remember: the money is in the links not the nodes. Thus the more nodes (people) you see, the more words you receive. The more words you receive, the more obvious are the links. It is not a difficult concept to understand. It is, however, a difficult concept to practise. For me, Networking is my life. There is nothing more in my business life than networking. Networking is the next profession forced upon us by the complexity of the Internet. The Internet is a linking machine. The money is not in the websites but in the links between the websites. The links are the web services. The links are the transactions. The links are where the money resides. At the same time you create a personal network of 1,000 people each year upon whom you can draw upon in times of need. Ecademy has 10,000 members, which is a wonderful group of people for you to each network with. They are likeable and trustworthy people. People in your network will help you with information, with jobs, with inspiration, to buy you a drink, to lift you up when you are down, to guide you on job prospects, to help you start a new venture, to get your first project off the ground or to invite you round for a barbeque or game of tennis. This networking formula is why the Ecademy is run for you as a free service. You represent 10,000 nodes and at least 100 words each. That’s one million words you represent before we engage in a conversation. How many links does that make? The number is impossible for me to write down. Conversations can take any angle, any journey or any route you wish them to take. Recognise that a Supernetworker like me is simply linking the words you say in my mind, spotting opportunities as we walk together on our path. The money is in the links. The pleasure is in the questions. The fun is in the reward of knowing the answers and connecting the words. Welcome to the world of supernetworking, welcome to my world inside the Ecademy …now why don’t you do the same thing? It’s not that hard really, is it? I'll speak to you next month. Warm regards, Thomas Power Chairman of Ecademy About Ecademy Ecademy's mission is "to provide E-business knowledge for individuals and corporations, to learn, network and develop their businesses". Ecademy's services to its members have produced a community of over 11,000 members in 104 countries. Membership is free. This is Ecademy's commitment so that members will enjoy a thriving community when they join. Ecademists use Ecademy.com as their E-business Portal, networking online and at face-to-face events, building business relationships, getting DailEnews (consolidated from over 400 sources), reports, articles, thought leadership and many other E-business-related services. In the spirit of a true ecosystem,  Ariadne Capital has partnered with the Ecademy to promote each organisation's networks and events to one another.  Each network contains over 10,000 professionals from around the globe.  For more information, visit Ecademy's website at: http://www.theecademy.com  - and join the E-Business Network.