People, serendipity, and technology

Imagine if Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had never met. Or Watson and Crick. We would have never heard some of the greatest rock 'n' roll music ever. Never learned about the double-helix structure of DNA that revolutionized science.

Serendipitous encounters can transform lives. It's when you meet that person that opens up a life-changing opportunity for you. It’s when you introduce two people that end up being co-founders. Or when you see someone’s tweet about your dream job that makes all the scrolling worth it.

When it comes to my life, there have been a few encounters that have transformed it. One of them was meeting Hooman Radfar and Steve Schlafman. We ran into each other during a Summit weekend in Utah.

I had been working with musicians and non-tech startups at the time - and was eager to learn more about technology. Hooman introduced me to some of his best friends in Silicon Valley. Steve connected me with the founders of the a16z-funded startup Genius. I spent weeks in their NYC office, soaking up the energy of a fast-growing company. I helped them out for free with connections in the music industry. This was my introduction to tech startups. It changed everything for me.

It's funny how life works. Someone we were randomly introduced to years ago can still be working with us today. And someone we just met can have an impact that lasts for decades, too. Meeting new people can be hard though - especially recently. We don't want to waste our time networking or end up becoming transactional. But we can make it easier for serendipity to find us. Here's how:

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