Being a good human is the best business strategy

Executive overview

Most business networking is transactional — people constantly calculate what they'll get back. Gary Vaynerchuk argues this mindset is manipulative, not clever.

The alternative: focus entirely on providing value to others, make connections with no expectation of return, and trust that abundance follows.

Generosity without scorekeeping is the most effective long-term sales strategy.

On competition and winning

• Wants to win, but doesn't believe his winning requires anyone else to lose
• Losing a pitch doesn't breed resentment — if another agency wins, they gave the client what they needed
• Roots for competitors, including direct ones; sees the market as abundant
• Being comfortable with others succeeding alongside you is a competitive advantage most people lack

On non-transactional relationship building

• Hosts "Wine and What's Next" jam sessions for CMOs and business leaders — no agenda, no pitch
• Covers the cost of the dinner with no expectation of direct return; a $14K evening may yield nothing, or a $6M client in three years
• Connections made at these dinners have led to jobs, campaign breakthroughs, and major deals he takes no credit for
• Puts people together — "Herm from DraftKings, meet Sam Bourne from Diageo" — and walks away
• Facilitated a large streaming sports deal with no referral fee and no credit sought

Why scorekeeping kills results

• Constantly calculating ROI on relationships makes you manipulative, not strategic
• Keeping score creates friction and limits the size of the network you can build
• Employees having organic conversations with potential clients should feel zero pressure — the outcome doesn't need to be forced
• The goal is to bring value to as many people as possible, not to extract from each interaction

The long game

• VaynerX's core strength is being maximally contemporary — not futuristic, not nostalgic, but focused on right now
• That currency (knowing what's happening today) is what makes these curated conversations valuable
• Short-term gold rushes (NFTs, internet stocks) don't change long-term technological trajectories — execution during the noise is what matters
• The identity he's building: not "the garage sale guy" but "the kind warrior"