Social Capital: The Lone Wolf’s Lesson

I’ve always fancied myself a bit of a lone wolf. I thought being on my own made me strong. I’d spend my days coding away in my home office, just me and my computer. No parties, no meetups. I figured they were a waste of time. Until a rough patch led me to the term “Social Capital.”

I had my skills, my projects, and my freedom. What more did I need? Turns out, being a lone wolf isn’t always the best hunting strategy when you’re trying to catch opportunities.

Eventually, I noticed other folks—some who weren’t even that great at coding—landing better gigs and projects. They had something I didn’t: connections. Success books call it Social Capital. I had to look it up.

It made me think that maybe, just maybe, being alone wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

So, I decided to give this whole “networking” thing a shot. I went to a local tech meetup here in Calgary. Walking into that room felt weird, like I was the dumbest guy in the room. I didn’t know anyone and felt out of place. But I stuck around. I introduced myself to some people,talked about what each other was doing, and it was awkward.

But by the end of the night, I had exchanged numbers with a few people and made some new possible friends. A small step, but a really big deal for a guy like me.

I’ve started hanging out with more people in person now and joined a couple of online groups related to what I do. It’s a whole new world outside my coding mancave. And I’ve learned a lot from others and even collaborated on some side projects.

As time goes on, I’m making more friends. I’m also starting to understand that having connections isn’t just about getting jobs. Its about sharing ideas and helping each other. It makes me feel happier and more confident. Team work really can make the dreams work.

Just this week I realized I’m not that lone wolf anymore. And while being independent is good, having friends and connections on top of it is even better.

The biggest takeaway from all this is that sometimes, you have to let others in to find your way. And I’m glad I am.


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