The Art of the Search Fund Info Interview

The search fund ecosystem is known for its friendliness and win-win attitude. If you reach out to almost anyone, they will likely be willing to talk to you on an informational basis. But don't be fooled. You can definitely squander those opportunities. As the one regularly giving informational interviews, I have noticed a wide variation in how the people I meet are approaching these conversations. Here are some simple rules to make the most of the opportunity to network (and these obviously carry over into the search itself). The best of breed are clearly doing all of this already, so you can skip, but for everyone else, level up your game here! 1) SHOW UP! I can't tell you how many times I have offered info interviews and had the person ghost me. Move heaven and earth to show up on time and ready to go. Always remember this person is doing you a favor and approach with humility, gratitude, and deference. Their time is 1000x more valuable than yours. 2) PREPARE: Treat each info interview like the precious opportunity it is; never squander it. My general rule of thumb is to commit to 3x the prep time you'll spend talking to the person. Yes, read all the available info online, etc., but better yet, talk to people who know the person to get hard-to-find info that will show, immediately, that you respected your interviewer enough to really do your homework (be a detective without getting creepy about it). 3) SHOOT FOR A WOW MOMENT: Your goal should be for the person you're talking to in the first 10 minutes of the conversation to think, “Wow, this person is super impressive, I want to help them any way I can!” This will happen naturally if you prepare correctly. 4) TELL A CRISP STORY ABOUT YOURSELF: Be ready with a clear story about yourself, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Rehearse it with a friend, tailored to this interview. Never lie or make stuff up. It's totally okay to say you're unsure about your direction in search, but share who you really are. 5) HAVE A GOAL: Always have a goal in mind for your next steps--a book to read, people to talk to, just something that helps focus the conversation so it not just an open-ended hang out. Having a goal will also give you a clear reason to check back in with them (when you do whatever they suggested). MAKE SURE THIS IS A SMALL ASK THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE THEM TO DO ANYTHING HARD. They are already doing you a favor, so make sure the goal is something they can tell you to do, and you can follow up on your own. 6) WRITE AN AWESOME THANK YOU NOTE: Take some time to reflect on the best parts of the conversation. If you committed to an action item, reiterate it and include your timeline for completing it. I HIGHLY recommend physical mail for this, as it enhances the impact and helps you stand out. Email is okay, but it is too easy. 7) BUILD A SYSTEM: Start a spreadsheet of every person you have networked with, had an info interview with, or talked to in a professional context. Note the date and type of interaction for every person. You may want to group by how often you clicked with the person or found them interesting, so you can develop a core group you are working hardest to cultivate. 8) UPDATE TO DEEPEN CONNECTIONS: Periodically reach out to the people on your spreadsheet with updates via email when important things happen in your life. Personalize your communication by referencing relevant materials you have read, tasks you have completed, or discussions with individuals they have introduced to you. The idea is to keep deepening the relationship so that later, when you have a bigger request, they have context to help you. 9) TRY TO MEET IN PERSON: Whenever you have the opportunity to meet anyone on your list, especially those in the high-interest group, do so in person. Many successful people, myself included, often claim to be just in town and ask if someone who could be important to their future has time for coffee. Meeting face-to-face is far more effective than Zoom, and it’s worth going out of your way—sometimes quite far—to meet in person and build relationships. 10) BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE YOU ADMIRE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS: This whole process is fundamentally about sorting out your "Big Why" in life, which requires experimentation and discovery. The first step is finding people ahead of you in that process whom you click with and deeply admire, not just because of their resume but because of their humanity, their values, their big why. Pay attention to your gut reactions to the people you meet through your networking, and invest in relationships with the people you admire most for who they are, not what they are. Remember, in an AI world, IQ is free, and EQ is the name of the game. This is 100% EQ.