When I was a kid, my parents told me “you should never talk to strangers.” While this was a common refrain among parents worried about the safety of their kids, it is a very bad life philosophy to learn, particularly if you want to become an entrepreneur or investor in start-ups. Networking and being able to talk to people you don’t know is one of the most valuable skills you can have in the world of entrepreneurship. Social psychologists and sociologists have demonstrated repeatedly the power of networking and social interaction in a variety of settings from selling products to raising money to managing employees.
