Unlocking Opportunity Through Connection: A Guide to Social Network Theory for Great Work
When I first started studying social network theory, I was skeptical. I worried it might reduce relationships to a numbers game, teaching me how to “leverage” people or “extract value.” That felt manipulative and misaligned with the way I want to work.
What I discovered instead was not a hack or a shortcut, but a framework that helps us understand how relationships grow, shift, and sustain us. It showed me how opportunity is created through connection, and how those connections can be nurtured without losing integrity.
Because, remember: Great Work is not meant to be done alone.
We need a circle of people who believe in us, cheer for us, and open doors we didn’t even know were there. Without that ecosystem, even the most meaningful work can stall.
With it, our work gains energy, momentum, and trust.
Your Network is an Ecosystem
Think of your network like a living system. It needs diversity, energy, and attention to thrive.
Strong ties are your people. They know your name, what you do, and why it matters. They’ll post about your book without you asking. You show up for them, and they show up for you.
Moderate ties are the sweet spot. They know who you are, they like what you’re doing, and they often bring the most surprising opportunities.
Weak ties recognize your name but don’t know much else. They might follow you online, or show up once to an event. With time, they can move closer.
When you tend your ecosystem, each part supports the others. Strong ties amplify your work, moderate ties introduce fresh opportunities, and weak ties bring in new energy.
Ask Yourself: What does your current ecosystem look like? Make a quick sketch of your strong, moderate, and weak ties. Where do you notice abundance? Where do you notice gaps?
Why Trust is the Life Force
If you’ve ever launched something into silence, you know how painful it is when your network doesn’t respond. It’s not that your work isn’t good. It’s usually that trust hasn’t had enough time to grow.
Research says it takes about seven genuine interactions before someone remembers your name and feels connected enough to act. That’s why exposure matters. Not as a trick, but as a way to earn trust over time.
Trust leads to connection. ↴
↳ Connection leads to opportunity.
↳ Opportunity fuels your Great Work.
Ask Yourself: Think of a time when someone earned your trust slowly. What did they do that helped you believe in them? How might you bring that same energy to your own network?
The Power of Moderate Ties
Here’s the surprising part: opportunity most often comes from the edges of your network, not the center.
Your strong ties usually know the same people and share the same routines as you. Moderate ties, on the other hand, open doors into new circles, industries, and ideas.
That’s why staying in touch with moderate ties is so powerful. A thoughtful comment on their work, an invitation to an event, or even a direct message that says, “I thought of you when I saw this” can rekindle connection.
It’s not about extracting. It’s about inviting.
Ask Yourself:Who are three moderate ties you’d like to reconnect with this month? What’s one authentic way you could reach out to each of them?
Strong Ties Keep You Sane
Entrepreneurship and Great Work can be lonely. Strong ties are the antidote. They are the ones you can call when you feel stuck, the ones who hold up your work in public, and the ones who remind you that you are not in this alone.
Keep a list of your strong ties. Reach out regularly, even just to say hello. Celebrate their wins and show up when they take a big swing. These are the relationships that make the work joyful and sustainable.
Ask Yourself: Write down the names of 5–10 strong ties in your life. When was the last time you reached out to each one? Who is ready for another touchpoint?
Weak Ties Need Doorways
Weak ties don’t know how to get closer to you. But they don’t need a pitch, they need a path—a clear, welcoming way to connect with you further. That’s why you need to create doorways: events, podcasts, newsletters, or social posts that invite them to come closer and get to know you. Weak ties are often curious but hesitant.
They may like a post here or there, attend one event, or linger on your newsletter before deciding whether to reach out more directly. That’s fine- research tells us that it takes seven “touches” to create stable awareness. And it’s stable awareness that paves the wya to trust.
So, to clarify: The goal is not to “feed the algorithm” but to give people real opportunities to know you better. Share how they can learn more, again and again, and over time, weak ties self-warm into moderate ties, and some of them will eventually become strong ties.
Ask Yourself: If someone only knew you from a single post, event, or podcast episode, what would they know how to get to know you better? If not, what “doorway” do you need to put in place?
How to Activate Your Ecosystem
Map your ties. Make a list of your strong ties, moderate ties, and where your weak ties hang out.
Tend your strong ties. Connect every month or two. Celebrate, support, and amplify. Help them more than you ask for help.
Activate your moderate ties. Reach out with care and curiosity. Share something specific, ask them to coffee, or invite them onto your podcast.
Build doorways for weak ties. Host free events, create content you love, and make it easy for people to step closer.
Remember the timeline. Trust takes time. Don’t wait until a week before your launch to start connecting. Start now, and keep going.
Ask Yourself: Looking at your own map, where will you focus your energy this season—strong, moderate, or weak ties? What’s one small action you’ll take this week?
The Big Picture
Networking is not about being pushy, transactional, or extractive. It’s about building an ecosystem of relationships that sustains your Great Work and the Great Work of others.
Strong ties keep you grounded.
Moderate ties bring fresh opportunity.
Weak ties bring new energy.
When we nurture all three with integrity, we create networks that are reciprocal, alive, and trustworthy. And that’s how we unlock opportunity—together.
But opportunity doesn’t appear overnight. It grows as people come to know you, recognize you, and trust you. Stable awareness, connection, and trust are what make your ecosystem thrive. That’s your job—starting now, and continuing as an ongoing practice.
