– Sarah Ticho, founder of Hatsumi

Rule 5: Off the record We adhere to the ‘Chatham House Rule’, i.e., people share whatever they’re comfortable sharing in the room, and people are free to share points made in the discussion, but not to reveal who made any particular comment. Everyone explicitly agrees to this rule at a dinner, and it helps build trust in the room.

When we work with founders, we’re not looking for any particular kind of discipline. They just need to show discipline in something. A daily diligence or regular attention to something that matters to them and that shows their ability to practise and train their discipline muscle.

If you’re in the mindset of maintaining a network, then you’re 90% of the way there. Maintenance is something that happens because of effort put in over the years, and, like compound interest, it really starts to bite as time goes on. Having a long-term view allows you to harness the power of this compounding so you can take control of your time

What’s the worst thing that could happen? Or what’s the worst someone could say to you or write online? And what would happen if they did that? How would you respond? How would it change your approach or your business? If you wouldn’t change anything, then stop worrying. If you would, then change it before anyone notices.

Can you develop a steel man argument? If you’re unsure about a decision and your gut fighting with your external sources of information is leaving you floundering, you can find a way forward with a ‘steel man argument’. This is the opposite of the ‘straw man argument’ you may be familiar with, whereby you argue against something based on false

The first is the sheer weight of implication that drips from the term ‘networking’. It conjures up images of shiny suits and business-card holders and quick, aggressive pitches machine-gunned at an audience chewing on canapés and unable to effectively respond. Or, at the very least, of incredibly dull conversations with people you’re unsure about.

‘Doing stuff’ is what it’s really all about. ‘Perfect is the enemy of good’, as they say, and indeed, as Hector notes above, ‘the enemy of growth’. Trying to achieve perfection simply delays you in getting out there to talk to people, test your solutions and make deals or build your team.

What hypothesis am I trying to test? Of course, it’s important to do your research and get things in order before pushing forward, but you need to be clear. You might also ask yourself what you need to gather data on, for example (but make sure it’s an actual NEED and not just a way to avoid doing the hard stuff like getting out and selling!).