The Soul of Biotech

BIL is a new kind of science and technology conference, set up as a more egalitarian cousin to TED. My close friend Lexi Bright, who writes over at Sophisticated Relationships persuaded me to join her in delivering a presentation on the topic of person-to-person networking to the attendees of BIL. (I love speaking in front of groups — she didn’t have to try very hard.)

Anyone who knows me personally is nodding, because they know how enthusiastic I am about meeting someone new and learning all about him or her. When I was a sophomore at MIT, my friend Brian joked, “Jonathan, you’re the one that makes that whole ’six degrees of separation’ thing work.” Later, Malcolm Gladwell would identify me as a ‘connector’. Who knew.

I’m still trying to figure out what parts to emphasize in the talk. Last night, I showed up at Bagdad Theater on Hawthorne for Ignite Portland, but it was already over capacity. So I walked down the street and ended up having a bite at My Thai, discussing the topic of my talk with my waitress, Emily, as I dug into my massamun curry. Emily graduated from Skidmore last year and drove out to Portland from New York this summer with her old housemates. Now she teaches grade school in Gresham by day and waits tables by night.

Emily and I talked about the nature of networking for a while — she says we shouldn’t use the word, because it gives her the willies. And I know what she means. When we think “networking,” we think of dryly exchanging cards, with the “lower status” person trying to get time on the calendar of the other in order to pitch his product, company, or employability. She suggested that we make sure to divorce the word from its usual meaning and reunite it with the idea of being open, honest and sincere with others. This sounded spot-on with my own interpretation of networking, and I’ll be sure to emphasize it in our talk.

Lexi and I are still writing the talk as we speak, and suggestions are welcome. So tell me what you think. Keeping in mind that the audience will be primarily technically-oriented, what should Lexi and I emphasize in our talk? What should geeks know about talking to strangers?

Boy, it’s been a long time since I wrote.

I finished my training in December, and at the turn of the new year, I finally hit the road to meet my doctors and talk product. I wish I could talk specifically about the fascinating interactions I’ve had with my physicians, but I can’t for confidentiality reasons. I can at least talk a bit about the rep experience, which has been tough but rewarding.

Last week, I came up with the perfect analogy for being a new rep: It’s like being transferred to a new school. At first, you don’t know where the classrooms are. No one knows who you are, so they aren’t especially interested in talking to you. You’re nervous, so you drop your books a couple of times. Your jokes aren’t funny, but you’re nervous so you laugh at them yourself. That sort of thing.

Things get better the same way they do in high school. You make a few friends, they actually laugh at your jokes, and eventually things get better, and before you know it, other people are glad you’re there. In the meantime, you do your homework conscientiously, ask good questions, and try to get your grades up as quickly as possible.

[Of course, it also helps when your big sister (aka partner) gets straight A’s, is as popular as the prom queen, and is kind enough to point the way.]