Growing Your Social Capital

Domain expert in the industry – Owner of pet sitting company, Kimberly

1) Who they are and what their background is?

Kimberly is the owner of a pet sitting service that operates in the local Jacksonville area. She has extensive experience pet sitting all types of animals but does a lot of work with cats. She also has several cats herself and often fosters cats or adopts new ones.

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Kimberly is my domain expert because she has been in the business of pet sitting, fostering, adopting, and caring for cats for over 8 years.

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I found Kimberly through friends that have used her services in the past.

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

We exchanged emails and had a short phone conversation. Kim was able to give me some realistic feedback on the idea that I have for my product. She was happy to talk to me because she’s passionate about anything that has to do with animals, especially cats.

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

She has a lot of practical and hands-on experience that can be very valuable for developing a successful product. She can also provide insight into what her customers are currently using and whether or not they are happy with the product.  

Expert on Market – Former manager of PetSmart, Haley

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Haley was a grooming manager that later became the general manager of a PetSmart. She also has a background in caring for cats and other pets.  

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Haley is the market expert. I chose her to fill this spot because she has experienced with selling different types of litter products to a variety of cat owners. She also gets to see them come back into the store to buy maintenance supplies and gets insight into how happy they are with the product.  

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

Haley is a coworker that happens to be an expert on this subject because of her experience in the pet supply retail space.  

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

We communicated in person and also via text. They were able to provide information about what type of litter boxes customers were purchasing and how they felt about them after use.

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

She has provided some good information on the products that are already out there and what the consumer sentiment is on these products.

Supplier to Industry – Freight transporter, Jerry  

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Jerry is a truck driver that owns his own business. He has worked in transporting all types of products including pet supplies.

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

I have Jerry as the supplier to the industry because he is involved in transporting these types of products.

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

He is the father of one of my friends that also works in the family business.

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

We were able to communicate several times via text and over the phone as well.

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Including Jerry in my network will give me some insight as to what type of products are popular, how often they are shipped around, and the quantities. This is useful information because it allows me to see what products are popular.

Reflection: This was a great networking experience because it allowed me to talk to people who have experience with these products, but they all see them from different points of view. I was able to learn a lot more about the products that are currently out there and how customers feel about them. This gives me the sense that there is definitely space for another product in the industry.