Build Your Network Before You Need It | John Hill (LinkedIn, Techstars, Whop) | EP.27

John Hill hasn't applied for a job in 25 years. His reputation keeps opening the door.

Recorded live on stage at Startup Boston Week, John (VP of Story at Whop) walks through a career built on relationships. A sports journalist handed a website in 1997. The Michigan State alumni director helping people find work in the 2009 recession. The face of LinkedIn's higher education push. A decade building the Techstars global network. And now Whop, where anyone can start a business with AI.

The most useful part for founders is his system. He takes 20 actions on his network every weekday, about 15 to 20 minutes a day, and it adds up to roughly 5,000 moments of help a year. He also explains why mapping the 100 people who can change your company's path matters more than your go-to-market plan.

In this episode:

Why founders now have to build two brands, their own and the company's

How to build your network before you need it

Why entrepreneurship is a skill you can learn

"Investors need you. You don't need investors."

His dad's story, from Savin Hill to Wharton, and a business card from a stranger at Penn Station

Why trust and community become the real assets in the AI era

Why he bought Cazenovia College

Chapters: