Invest in rising stars

Happy 2023! Thanks for joining me as I explore topics around building and maintaining the relationships that matter most to us. Quick Q - how are we doing? After you’ve read (or at least skimmed!) this post, give us a quick rating at the bottom, or reply back with any thoughts.

I recently attended a dinner where the host kicked the conversation off with a few icebreaker questions. One of which caught the attention of every guest.

“If you could have dinner with anybody in the world, who would it be?”

People shared names of celebrity chefs, prolific authors, talented actors, professional athletes, famous entrepreneurs, and more. I wasn’t surprised. Who wouldn’t want to have to build relationships with these peak performers?

But to make having dinner with these influencers a reality comes with its own set of problems.

1. Everyone wants to engage with them too

2. Their energy is limited in terms of what they can, given the demands on their time

3. You likely don’t have much to offer them that they can’t already get

I remember meeting Mike, who waited all day at a business conference to pitch his startup idea to a famous investor, elbow to elbow with dozens of others. Eventually, Mike did meet this special guest, but only for two minutes while the investor walked to his car. 

And you’d guessed it–Mike’s business did not receive any funding and they never spoke with each other again.

Instead of investing your energy to befriend the person everyone is also trying to meet, we recommend a different approach. 

Rising stars

Find and invest time in rising stars: the people who haven’t made it yet but are on a trajectory toward their ultimate goals. 

“Play long term games with long term people.” -Naval Ravikant, founder of Angelist

These rising stars could become peak performers one day that everyone is clamoring to meet. But since you have invested time in building a relationship before they made it, you don’t need to wait in line all-day as Mike did.

Help them in any way you uniquely can. Or simply cheer them on in their journey and all the ups and downs. 

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down” - Oprah Winfrey

The key is to be on their team long before they reach their peak. 

The cool kids refer to this as being #DayOnes.

Since they’re not mega successful yet, it’s much easier to get in contact early and build a genuine relationship. And they likely still are eager and open for resources and assistance.

Plus if or when they do make it, their #DayOnes will always have a special place in their heart, because they believed in them when very few people did.  

How to identify and meet rising stars

My definition of who’s a rising star may be different from yours. Ultimately, it comes down to asking yourself this question.

“What traits do you find in the people you respect the most?”

It could be ambitious and visionary dreamers. Or sociable, super-connector types. Or sharp thinkers who operate under first principles.

Get clear on those traits. Then find the communities where these rising stars frequent. They could be very active in specific subreddits or discord groups. They could be tweeting and writing on Substack. Or the founder of a new product that you found remarkable in some way. 

Obviously, your picks might only be right sometimes. Plus, you might not even know if you’re right until many years down the road. The key is to think about this as a portfolio strategy–spread your sights wide and invest in as many interesting people as you can.  

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” -Oprah Winfrey

Give your time and energy generously to your new mentees. Show up when they ask for help or guidance. Doing this consistently will not only impact the rising stars in ways you may not even imagine, but they will also find some way to show appreciation for you when the time is right.

Investing in rising stars over peak performers is a smart move. By finding and connecting with up-and-comers, you can build strong relationships and be a part of their journey to greatness. And hey, who knows? They might just become the next big thing.