#Chapter 1 - Network Society
- Mo Ca
- Dec 7, 2018
- 11 min read
How to create a relevant community in the Network Society?
In this first chapter, we want you to understand why you can benefit from the Network Society. We will show you how the Network Society influences you, the young graduates, when wanting to create your own startup and building a community around that quest. But we will also make you think a little about connecting with people without seeing some of them in real life: do you think you benefit more from your offline or from your online network? In other words, we will introduce you some tips about how to create a relevant and successful community in the Network Society.
"I’m pretty sure you were intrigued by this term when you first read it in the title. Network Society… What can this mean? We all know that we are living in a modern society, in which people are always connected. But why do we call it that way? Let’s discover it in this chapter written by the team YouPro. But first, I advice you to see the introduction video they have chosen especially for you."
What is the Network Society?
Interactions + media = let’s make a brief history of social media!
Can you imagine that a long time ago, the only way to communicate with people across great distances was to write letters? Yes, the world was not as much connected as it is now. But some innovations permitted people, through the centuries, to interact faster, like the Telegraph (1835), the phone (1890), the radio (1891) and now: the Internet. All you need today is cell phones, tablets, computers, and internet connection to talk with people from all around the world through social media platforms.
Of course, you know some social media like Facebook or Twitter. But did you also know that social media has existed for more than 40 years? At the end of the 70’s, Usenet was launched by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis (1979). It was a forum networked system which allowed people to post news articles to newsgroups. Then, at the beginning of the 80’s, Bulletin Board Systems (BBS), the first form of social media, was born. It was a computer server equipped with a software which permitted people to exchange and stock messages, files or games. However, Instant Relay Chat (IRC) was the real ancestor of what we now call instant messaging.
We don’t want to bother you with the all history of social media, neither list all the platforms that exist or have existed. It would take too much of your precious time. What you just have to know is that those platforms are evolving as fast as our society but their main goal is always the same: make people interact with each other through technologies. That is what Facebook aims at (2004). Mark Zuckerberg understood the interest of a communitarian platform which reflects the real life and on which people can communicate in real time.
Society has changed to become a hyper-connected one. Nowadays, everything has to go fast and people communicate all day long and instantly. Indeed, the young generation, you, are called ATAWAD (Dalloz, X., 2002) which means you are able to get in touch with people “AnyTime”, “AnyWhere” and with “AnyDevice”. Therefore, your network is kind of being every time with you. That is why we may say that we are living in a Network Society. Let’s now introduce you to this very relevant concept you need to understand before building your community.
Why is understanding the Network Society so important for you ?
As the world evolved, the organizational logic did the same: face-to-face social relations became digital ones. Before, groups, organizations, interactions were organized in physical co-presence. We were in a Mass Society (Van Dijk, 2012). Thanks to technological advances, your networks can today be “socially and spatially and diverse” (Wellman, 1973).
Indeed, daily social relations and interactions are organized within mediative technologies “that form a communication network rather than networks typified by face-to-face social relations”. (Van Dijk, 2012). By this, he means that our modern network society combines two components:
● The Social Networks, or offline networks, are the networks you can have in real life through physical talking. For instance, your friends, your sports partners, your family etc.
● The Media Networks, or online networks, are the networks you can have on the social media platforms. They can be Social Networks you also have offline but they can be new ones. Indeed, on the social platforms, you don’t know everyone. But you have different networks on it depending on your shared interests, sectors of activity, studies etc.
Let’s take Linkedin, as it will certainly be the most useful platform for you to build your community. It allows people from all over the world to communicate through digital means without face-to-face contact. Those people you are communicating with can be from your offline network: friends, family, also called bonds (Antheunis, Vanden Abeele, Kanters, 2015). But they can also be people you don’t know but who look like you and are looking for the same: they are called bridges and linkages (Antheunis, Vanden Abeele, Kanters, 2015). Those people are part of your target audience and can be other startupers (people who have created a startup), other young graduates who want to create a startup, stakeholders etc. But be careful: those people have to be chosen carefully if you want to increase your social capital (we will talk about it in the next chapter concerning the psychology of networks).
Networks are the new social shape of our societies. If you are not yet convinced about that, just read what is following.
“If you do not care about networks, the networks will care about you, anyway. For as long as you want to live in society, at this time and in this place, you will have to deal with the network society, because we live in the Internet Galaxy” – Manuel Castells
What is the power of the network?
As a young professional who wants to create a startup, regardless of your field, may it be in business, engineering or in the tech industry, a network is essential in determining your future business. A network is simply a group of various people that you can share ideas with or improve your expertise in a particular field. Think of a network as your source of help or guidance, and the other way around. We, as human beings, are social creatures. People need each other to survive, it is the nature of a human being. Especially if you have just gotten started running your own business, your network is your greatest asset.
"We human beings are social beings. We come into the world as a result of others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others' activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.” - Dalai Lama XIV
A network enables you to find job opportunities, make contacts, pursue learning opportunities through mentorship or mastermind group and also to get into the habit of building professional relationships in your career (Kumar, 2017). Imagine you just started a tech-startup and you need to promote your first product or service through websites and other media, however, you just graduated with an engineering degree. You have no experience in this matter. Would you do it all by yourself? It is possible, but it will drain your energy. But what if you know someone who is a web designer, a salesman and someone who works at a marketing agency in your network? Wouldn’t life get easier? Yes, you got it now.
On the other hand, networking also provides opportunities in finding the right partner and getting the right connection. Your network defines your business in the long-term, thus choose it wisely. Based on Porter Gale’s book: Your Network Is Your Net Worth; “The new form of networking is not about climbing a ladder to success; it’s about collaboration, co-creation, partnerships, and long-term values-based relationships” (Gale, 2013). The author emphasizes the importance of networking in the digital age, not only to advance career but also to increase your visibility in the professional area. In today’s world, where we are shifting from the industrial age into the digital age, networking is easier than before. Thanks to email, LinkedIn and Twitter, you’ve got more options and other online tools to create connection and increase your network. Therefore, there is no more excuse not to be networking! But be careful, you can’t just focus on building an online network: the offline part of your network is as important, or even more important. If you want to know how to start building a successful network, the next part will certainly help you.
How to start building a successful network?
You just finished college and now you are faced with a huge question: “What do I do now?” One of the most important aspects of building your own startup is setting up a network. We think that now you get it. But it is something very difficult because it is maybe the first you are trying to do so. Many times you don’t even have to look that far outside of your own circles. Here are some useful tips to help you start a relevant network.
Having a successful network doesn’t have to mean a huge network. A network is only as useful as the relations you have with them. It is tempting to add everyone from your city or people whom you met once. It is, however, important to realize that your network should be about quality, not quantity. This phenomenon is called Strong over Weak ties (Castells, 2001). You want your connections to introduce you to new people and new opportunities. And the only way that is possible is when you have a personal connection with them.
As a young professional, you may not know as many people as your colleagues, parents, friends’ parents, but that’s ok. The beauty of a network is the people in it and that there is always room for growth. If you are just getting started on LinkedIn or looking for ways to get more connections, we have you covered. Here are five easy ways to begin building your network:
1. Connect with Alumni
For instance, you studied at a huge university with a lot of alumni. You could go to LinkedIn and see who else graduated from it and reach out to them. You can do a quick search with the name of your school in the School field in the Advanced Search area and see who else you might want to reach out to. People you know through classes, activities, sports teams etc. are great people to connect with since you already have something to talk about.
2. Connect with Colleagues
You see and interact with your colleagues on a daily basis that is why it is a smart move to connect with them. They are in the same industry as you and are often connected with relevant customers, clients, and other colleagues. This also opens the door for a recommendation when the time is appropriate. It is important to only connect with colleagues that you actually interact with. Especially if you work for a big company with more than a hundred employees.
3. Who’s viewed your profile
On your homepage to the right of your photo, LinkedIn provides you with the people who have viewed your profile. If you know the people viewing your profile, connect with them. If you don’t know them, send them a message that might look something like this: “Hi, I noticed you viewed my profile. I like to know the people in my network. Are you interested in having a conversation?” You never know where that conversation might lead.
4. Follow companies and organizations
When you follow companies and organizations, updates they share will appear on your Home Page newsfeed. Interacting with posts may result in people looking at your profile, which in turn, may lead to new connections. If you are looking for a new job, following companies of interest is a great idea as you will see any job postings and company updates which can be helpful to know about.
5. Join Young Professional Groups
There are approximately 4,000 Young Professional Groups on LinkedIn. Chances are there’s at least one Group that you can join. To search for Young Professional (or any Group), click on the “Work” tab in the navigation bar. Then click “Groups,” and search away. We used the search phrase “Young Professionals,” “Young Professionals Rotterdam”. If there are no Young Professional Groups that catch your eye, look to join other Groups you are interested in.
Best practice from
the startup STASHER
Presentation of STASHER
During our London trip, we get the opportunity to visit Stasher on the 16th October. The visit gave us several interesting insights into how a startup works and how to create a network. Our reception and all the visit & interview were very warm. We were welcomed by the Marketing Manager Elsa and we interviewed one of the co-founders, Anthony. The office was very open and modern, as you would expect from a start-up.
The company: Stasher, “Easier than packing a bag"
Stasher is a startup that stores luggage for travellers. Stasher enables customers to book and stash their stuff safely through its service. The use of Stasher is very easy, you have to enter your location on the website. After this, they will find a StasherPoint nearby where you can drop off your luggage.
At the moment, Stasher is the world’s first and largest luggage storage network (Stasher, 2018). The concept is that Stasher connects people with hotels and shops that can keep their luggage safe.
History and Ideas
People were always asking to store their stuff at Anthony's home near King's Cross. With a friend, Matt, they started by creating a website to see how people would be willing to store and they let people store for one day to even several months.
Further on, they started to do market research and they found out that there was nothing similar to their concept. The journey begins by starting to approach local shops to store the luggage and then continued to hotels.
When Matt, the other cofounders, asked, Anthony replied "Sure, but I'm charging you for it". This joke was the lightbulb moment. On 21 September 2015 CityStasher was created (now Stasher)
Company profile
Established 2 years ago, in the city of London. The founders started the concept of the company right after they graduated in September 2015 and then the website was released in April 2016. Eventually, in January 2017, the founders worked on Stasher full time.
They work with a network of hundreds of shops and hotels who have extra space. In this extra space, you can leave your luggage. Until now, the company have partnered with large hotels such as Accor hotels and Premier Inn in cities worldwide.
Most of their customers are travellers and typically who stayed at Airbnb because they usually don’t have a place to leave their bags. Some other examples are also those who travel to London and they want to travel to other cities in Europe for a couple of days and come back, so they leave their luggage in London.
How does it work?
1. Find & book
Search on Stasher & choose from 1000s of vetted hostels and stores
2. Drop in Store
Instantly receive an email confirmation. Show this & your ID in store.
3. Enjoy & collect
Enjoy the city - with peace of mind that your bags are safe
Best tips to start building your networkNETWORK
- Physical meeting before creating online connections (and after combine both) The contact will be more fluent and less spammy
- Be bold but professional when contacting businesses or possible connections
- Have a large broad outreach (the most important Social Networks) BUT connect to non-official networking group also (for instance alumni's and interest groups)
- Get your information from offline sources by going to events, afterworks, conferences...
- Build your credibility by showing interest to your target audience (on social networks and in reality.
If you want to see her complete interview, it’s here!
As a conclusion, this chapter shows how relevant networking is when you want to establish your own business. You need to be connected with others to let your business grow no matter. But remember one thing: to build a relevant and successful network, you really have to combine your online and your offline community. We hope this chapter convinced you to get in touch with other young professionals to share the same passion. Never forget how important it is not to be a solo fighter because only together we are stronger. Now you know how to start creating your community, let's focus on understanding the psychology of networks (and people) to understand your community.
Team YouPro
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