Networking as a Career Engine: LinkedIn, Relationships, and Conferences with Itai Horn

In this episode

• Networking is a muscle you have to maintain all the time — not just when you're job hunting. The next lead can come from an unexpected place (a flight to Rhodes, the grocery store), so you should always be ready with a sharpened pitch tailored to whoever is in front of you.
• On LinkedIn, consistency wins: publish meaningful content (at first about once a week) after doing research, read and dig deep into market leaders' content, and send connections proactively and systematically — 'get up in the morning and tap-tap-tap.'
• Don't be afraid to publish even if the post doesn't go viral — the very act of exposure, experimentation, and research is a building block that moves you forward. Even people outside the industry or from R&D can create valuable content about their content area.
• At conferences you need to come prepared: understand the agenda, who's attending, and what you want to achieve (knowledge + leads). Then 'jump into the cold water' and make introductions — everyone is nervous; it's a game of numbers and consistency over time.
• Product management demands strong soft skills — leading without authority, communicating internally and externally, and being an executor who delivers. For prioritization Itai works by RICE, scoring each element and involving stakeholders as full partners in building the roadmap.
• Relationships are built with a partner approach and eye to eye — active listening, sharing the process, and also knowing how to say 'no' and explain the value. A connection made at a conference usually doesn't turn into a job right away, but is nurtured over time through more conferences and LinkedIn.