This is where discipline matters. The temptation is to add a contact whenever there is any conceivable reason to do so. They work in a relevant industry. They have a relevant title. They follow you on LinkedIn. The practice becomes less curated and more sprawling. The reasoning becomes weaker. The network stops being a real asset and becomes a list that feels good because it is large.

The alternative is to set a standard. You will only add a relationship if you can explain in one clear sentence why they belong in your network. The sentence has to be specific enough that someone else would understand why you chose them. Not they work in tech. Rather, they were the VP Sales at a company similar to my next target, and they moved into that role last year. Not they seem interested in my work. Rather, they asked about my process in a comment on a post I wrote about founder revenue leadership.

This is not about being precious or exclusive. It is about being honest with yourself about why the relationship matters. If you cannot articulate the reason, you will not tend the relationship. You will send a generic first message and then move on. A network of untended relationships becomes a list of regrets. Every relationship you keep should have a story you can tell about why they matter. That story is what keeps the relationship alive.