Posts by Michael Simmons
The One Thing You Should Do After Meeting Anyone New
At 24-years-old, Francis Pedraza is the co-founder and CEO of a venture-backed company, Everest. In addition, he is an advisor to 10 tech companies, each of whom he does hundreds of introductions for in return for equity. It is hard to predict how my Forbes interviews will go. Most top relationships builders are not able to articulate…
Read MoreThe Dumbest Mistake That Smart People Make
It was a little past 1:00 a.m, and I sat alone at the dining room table. If only I had listened to my tired body and gone to sleep, I might have saved a friendship and a business partnership. Instead, I pushed through and gave overly harsh feedback on a letter. It took me only…
Read MoreWhy Constant Learners Embrace the 5-Hour Rule
At the age of 10, Benjamin Franklin left formal schooling to become an apprentice to his father. As a teenager, he showed no particular talent or aptitude aside from his love of books. When he died a little over half a century later, he was America’s most respected statesman, its most famous inventor, a prolific author, and a successful entrepreneur. What happened…
Read MoreWhy Creating Content Trumps Face-to-Face Meetings
On a recent Halloween, Caitlin Seida dressed up as Lara Croft, one of her favorite video game characters. Later that night, she posted a photo of herself to Facebook. She thought nothing of it. Little did she know that while she was asleep the photo was spreading across the Internet. When she awoke in the…
Read MoreThe One Trait That Elon Musk, Ben Franklin, and Marie Curie Have in Common
“Jack of all trades. Master of none.” The warning against being a generalist has persisted for hundreds of years in dozens of languages. “Equipped with knives all over, yet none is sharp,” warned people in China. In Estonia, it went, “Nine trades, the tenth one — hunger.” Yet, many of the most impactful individuals — both contemporary…
Read MoreHow to Deeply Connect With Anyone
August 27, 2000 was one of the most important days of my life. I was loving my newfound independence and soaking in my second day of orientation at NYU. Little did I know that I would meet my future wife that evening. A group of guys I was with connected with a group of girls…
Read MoreDale Carnegie’s #1 Mistake
In 1936, Dale Carnegie published How To Win Friends & Influence People. Since then, it has become the relationship building bible for 30+ million people including myself. However, not all of Carnegie’s principles work as advertised… You’re at a cocktail event. You see one of your professional heroes engaged in conversation across the room. Nursing a…
Read MoreThe Million Dollar Introduction
Adam Rifkin’s introductions have led to two marriages, hundreds of jobs, dozens of company fundings, and approximately 12 new business partnerships. Contrary to what you might think, Adam (43) is an inherently shy introvert and doesn’t spend a lot of time making introductions relative to his impact. He is a successful serial tech entrepreneur who…
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