Soft skills, serendipity and strategy: How tech founders must rewire networking

Dublin leadership conference to hear about the value of personal networks

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Most tech founders have got one idea about what networking is, and unsurprisingly the answer is predictable. It is about getting in front of investors, winning new business or finding the right hires. 

But Kingsley Aikins thinks that definition is far too narrow.

Aikins is the founder of The Networking Institute and has spent his career helping leaders connect across business, philanthropy and diaspora communities. He’s known as the ‘guru of global philanthropy’ and he is also the MC of the Dublin Leadership Summit 2025. Taking place on 2 October at Leopardstown Racecourse, this is the fourth year the Summit is being held with tickets selling out in 2024.

For Aikins, the lesson is simple. Building a company is never just about the technology. It is about the people you can reach and the relationships you keep.

Why soft skills matter more than you think

Aikins often says that soft skills are horribly misnamed. These skills are, in fact, hard. Listening well, being curious, showing empathy are often more difficult skills to learn than learning how to code. Unfortunately, these things rarely get taught in schools or universities. Yet they shape careers far more than exam results or technical ability.

He points to Google’s own research (namely Project Oxygen and Project Aristotle) which found that when the company looked at what makes a great leader, technical skills came last. The real differentiators were qualities like communication and collaboration.

To explain why, he uses Harvey Coleman’s PIE theory, which stands for performance, image and exposure. Doing good work is essential, but it’s just the starting point. What matters is how others see you and whether they see you at all. For founders, building a product might cover performance. However, it’s building a reputation and being visible in the right places is what drives growth.

“Successful people tend to be successful brands,” he says. “Not having a personal brand is having a personal brand. Every day, whether we like it or not, we are being judged.”

Two networks, not one

Early in your career, networks form naturally. School friends, colleagues, the people you meet through family all contribute to a community of people around you. Aikins calls this your organic network. But if you want to grow, he argues, you have to develop a second kind of network. And this one has to be an intentional one.

That means deliberately connecting with people outside your immediate circle. For founders, this might involve seeking out peers in other industries, approaching experienced investors or reaching into new geographies.

His advice is to flip the usual script. Instead of asking what someone can do for you, ask what you can do for them. Become known as someone who makes introductions and joins the dots. Trust builds from there.

Making space for luck

Aikins is fond of the phrase ‘funnels of serendipity’. He believes chance meetings can change careers, but you can tilt the odds in your favour. That means showing up in different rooms, speaking with people outside your usual circle, and listening more than you talk.

These small shifts create the possibility of breakthroughs. “Luck is not something that just happens to you,” he says. “It is something you can invite and create for yourself.”

The Summit in practice

At the Dublin Leadership Summit, Aikins will be guiding the flow of the day. His job is not just to introduce speakers but to link the themes together and create moments where people can engage with one another. The formal sessions in the morning are followed by a networking lunch, which is deliberately built into the programme. It is in those informal conversations where ideas are tested and new connections begin to stick.

Why this matters in 2025

Since the pandemic, Aikins has noticed that many professionals have retreated into smaller circles. That, he warns, comes at a cost. Weak ties, which include acquaintances and looser contacts, are often the source of fresh opportunities. Without them, innovation slows and growth stalls.

“The hidden cost of Covid is that our networks have shrunk. We have ignored the outer concentric ring where opportunity lies,” he says.

For founders in fast-moving sectors like tech, this is a challenge and an opportunity. As automation and AI take over more tasks, the human element becomes even more important. The companies that succeed will not only have smart algorithms. They will also have strong reputations, trusted leaders and a web of connections that others cannot easily copy.

The Dublin Leadership Summit, run by AAB and The Dublin Network, is one of those places where you can see this principle in action. It is not just a stage for big ideas, but rather a space to practice the kind of networking that makes them real.