Information broker/Super connector - Heidi used her outgoing personality and interpersonal skills to build her network in such a manner that she could act as a super-connector. Throughout her career, she built relationships with members of the press, industry, software etc. She was careful to only create access where both parties stood to gain from the connection. Heidi acted as a super-connector, a powerful broker who shared her contacts within her network.
Effort to reduce Self Similarity & Proximity – Heidi tried not to restrict her relationships to people similar to her. She believed reaching out to not only successful, but also smart people whom she considered to be potential successful businessmen. In her early years, she reached out to people across fields (press, industry, software developers, entrepreneurs etc.).
Shared Activities – Heidi believed that people needed to have some reason to interact with you in order to build a network. Throughout her career, she strived to convert routine interactions into strong professional relationships by seizing opportunities to interact and then stay in touch with all the people that she met. She also threw the dinner parties at her home and interacted with people in her visit to health clubs, jogs etc.
2) What specific behaviours led to her current network? How were ties formed? Maintained?

3) What are the strengths of Heidi Roizen’s network? Weaknesses?
Strength: Value of Brokers: Heidi had established close ties with people who were the nuclei of multiple networks. This enabled her to create a constellation that touched numerous people efficiently. As a result, strong relations with stalwarts of multiple related industries ranging from press to software raised her level of information from what she knew to whom she knew. She was able to give her a fair view of any situation without being restricted in an echo chamber.
Strength: Quality of Interactions: Heidi was a firm believer that consistency and performance were far more important than frequency of interactions in maintaining a network. This enabled her maintain her connections with great efficiency.
Strength: Shared Activities Principle: Heidi established close contacts, ranging from Royal Farros to Bill Gates, through high-stakes activities. Personal relationships forged through parties that she hosted also helped, although to a much lower extent, in expanding her network. She was able to network with people in an external environment that let them breakout of their traditional business roles. All these efforts created a constellation of loyal connections.
Weakness: Similarity of Connections: Despite her persistent efforts to create diverse connections, since Heidi was the super-connector of her network, she ended up forming a constellation of proximal and similar networks. Heidi’s connections were primarily comprised of Silicon Valley businessmen. Although her networks in the beginning of her career were fairly diverse, she ended up working with people who shared her background.
Weakness: Inefficacy of Casual Interactions: Casual interactions are not as effective as high-stakes tasks in establishing strong bonds. Heidi’s efforts to network through dinner parties were thus not as efficient in expanding her network, as were her professional involvements.