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Essays & field notes

Notes from a decade spent studying how strangers become allies — what builds trust fast, what kills it, and how to design gatherings in service of human connections.

We’re Asking Networking to Do Too Much

Latest Networking · September 2026 · 6 min read

Networking gets us from stranger to acquaintance. We ask it to do the whole job.

“It’s that there is a much wider range of human interaction available to us than we typically design for.”

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How Much Are Your Attendees Really Getting From One Another?

Relational design · September 2026 · 7 min read

We measure registrations and satisfaction — rarely the quality of the relationships people build.

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What Years of Peer Groups Taught Me About Human Relationships

Peership · August 2026 · 7 min read

A decade inside confidential peer groups — and the word I needed for what happens in them.

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How Turning Attendees into Allies Unlocks Event ROI

Progress · August 2026 · 8 min read

How merging stage and lobby unlocks true event ROI.

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Trust Doesn’t Take Years — It Takes Design

Connection · August 2026 · 6 min read

What a decade of running private groups taught me about human connection.

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The 10 Milestones Your Attendees Need to Form Deeper Bonds

Attendee journey · August 2026 · 9 min read

How world-class events design for human connection—and why isolation is ruining your ROI.

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