i used to think networking was everything like just meet the right people say the right things and boom doors open but the more i did it the more it felt like running on a treadmill like yeah maybe i got somewhere but mostly i was just tired

networking is weird cause it's kinda just convincing people you matter and like sure that works but also most of the time it's fake cause people forget you unless you keep showing up and like do i really wanna be someone who only exists when im in the room

the problem with networking

so many people just collect contacts like it's pokemon cards thinking the more they have the better their chances but like have you ever looked at an old contact list and thought who even are these people cause same

but branding branding is different cause you don't have to chase it's like people just know who you are without you constantly reminding them

branding isn't what people think

everyone thinks branding is just looking cool having a nice site clean visuals but nah it's deeper it's the feeling you leave behind like if i disappeared tomorrow what would people still remember about me

like mcdonalds doesn't have to explain itself you just see those golden arches and boom you want fries that's branding it's not telling it's making people feel something

case study: IKEA being real

take IKEA's "Proudly Second Best" campaign - they straight up said "yeah our furniture isn't the most important thing in your home, your life is" that's genius cause they're not trying to be everything they're just being real

that's what real branding is - not shouting "we're the best" but understanding your place in people's lives and owning it completely

influence

people who really have influence don't chase they build gravity

gravity doesn't beg for attention it just exists and people can't help but be pulled in that's what i want not to knock on doors hoping someone lets me in but to make something so undeniable that people come to me without me having to ask

branding isn't about being loud it's about being unforgettable

and if you do that right networking just happens

my own experiments with branding

looking back at some of my own work with branding, each project taught me something different about how perception changes everything

when i redesigned LARA's brand identity, it was about taking robotics research and making it feel approachable. with Devfest, we turned a typical tech conference into a celebration that matches the feel of google in a more authentic way and making tech feel less intimidating. and with Craigslist just showed how something everyone sees as outdated could feel modern without losing its soul.

it's wild how the same thing can feel so different just by changing how you present it. that's what i mean when i say branding isn't about being loud - it's about telling the right story in the right way