C06-Case_Analysis_3-Sessions_13_14.docx - G06 – Case...

G06 – Case Analysis (Session 13 and 14)
Case 3- Heidi Roizen
1. What are the strengths of Roizen’s network as we see it at the end of the case? The
weaknesses?
Strengths
 Breadth of network: Instead of maintaining personal ties with each and every person, Roizen
started to keep in touch with the nuclei of different groups, with whom she would interact and
deliberate work. Another advantage with this approach was that she could expand her network
broadly and tap into the correlated networks without involving herself deeply with individuals. Her
network of contacts brought access to diverse skill sets.
 Depth of network: She personalizes every relationship and keeps in touch with all her contacts in a
way that even without conversing frequently, she is able to maintain strong and substantial bond.
 Her affability: She is very pleasant and easy to talk to. She likes to get to know and be friends with
interesting and smart people irrespective of them having any power in the industry. She knows how
to maintain strong relationships over time.
 Consistency: She is cognizant of the fact that maintaining relationships takes time and always makes
sure that she responds to everyone well within time and thus, stays true to her promises.
 Career building opportunities: The vast network played a significant role in career advancement
not only for Roizen, but also a large number of people in her network. Her ability to integrate
professional and personal networks, which she developed at Tandem and T/Maker, served her well as
she worked for Apple and Softbank, as well as a "Mentor Capitalist."
Weaknesses
 While Roizen could reach out to numerous people, she also had to learn to say no to many others
simultaneously, sometimes even when they were close acquaintances.
 She easily and very comfortably mixed her personal and professional life but that led to mental
exhaustion which also might come in the way of efficiency and maintaining good family relations in
the future. This overlap and using her house for most of her meetings, lead her to call her house a
“Flophouse” as joke, when she hosted her partner at Softbank for a few months.
2. What specific steps did Roizen take to develop and maintain her network?

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