The Real Value of Connecting in Person

With all the attention Facebook and Twitter receive, it’s hard to keep in mind the value of face-to-face connections. However, some recent developments in the tech sector prove that old-fashioned networking still pays off . . . hugely.

Last week Saturday, the New York Times reported on the behind-the scenes history of Instagram, a photo-sharing iPhone application recently purchased by Facebook for $1 billion. It turns out that when Instagram’s creators first released their app, it garnered immediate attention. Within hours, thousands downloaded the app, causing its supporting computer systems to crash.

Knowing this problem needed a quick resolution, one of Instagram’s founders, Kevin Systrom, scrolled through his phone in search of “the smartest person I know.” He found Adam D.Angelo, a former chief technology officer at Facebook, who walked the creators through a process to get their computer systems up and running again. It can fairly be said that D’Angelo helped transformed Instragram’s creators into the multi-millionaires they are today.

And how did Mr. D’Angelo’s name land on Systrom’s list of contacts? The two had met at a party seven years earlier, over beers in red plastic cups, at a Stanford University fraternity party.

If you’re starting work as an intern, summer associate or new hire, never forget the importance of connecting face-to-face. Instagram’s success is proof positive that in our high tech world personal connections are as important as ever.
 
 

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