7.2 Present Connections (Active Leverage)
(Or: "How to turn contacts into cheques and favors into lifelines")
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7.2.1 The Startup's Black Book
Your Relationship CRM – No Fancy Tools Needed
🚀 Bare-Minimum System (Even for Bootstrapped Startups)
Tool Pro Hack Indian Jugaad
Airtable Free for <1,200 records Color-code by influence level
Google Sheets Shared with co-founders Add WhatsApp chat links
Notion Embed LinkedIn profiles Create "Last Gift Given" column
Tagging That Matters:
• 💰 Investor (Stage: Pre-seed/Series A)
• 🦸 Mentor (Specialty: Scaling/ops)
• 🏛️ Regulator (Agency: GST/RBI)
• 🔥 Crisis Savior (Last helped: [Date])
🔥 War Story:
A Gurugram founder's "Tax Emergency" shortlist:
1. CA friend → Explained notice
2. Ex-classmate in GST → Fast-tracked hearing
3. Uncle in ministry → Got penalty reduced 80%
= ₹20L saved in 72 hours
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7.2.2 The "Who to Call" Shortlist
(Your 3AM Crisis Avengers)
📱 Must-Have Contacts (Indian Context)
Category Who? Why?
Legal Firefighter Corporate lawyer + local "fixer" GST raids, labor inspections
Bank Whisperer Relationship manager's personal mobile Unfreeze accounts fast
Media Medic Business journalist friend Kill negative stories
Godfather Industry elder with clout Resolve partner disputes
Template (Crisis Shortlist):
markdown
# 🔥 Nuclear Options
1. **Tax Emergency**
- @CA_Rahul (24/7) | Last helped: 2024-03-15 (₹5L penalty waived)
2. **Investor Meltdown**
- @IIT_Sequoia_Batchmate | Intro to 3 alternative VCs
3. **PR Disaster**
- @TimesNow_Reporter | Can spike negative story
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🛡️ Connection Health Check
"How crisis-ready is your network?"
Parameter 😱 Praying Works 🛠️ Somewhat Ready 🛡️ Marwari Baniya-Level
CRM Memory + prayers Basic spreadsheet AI-powered with reminders
Tags None Some categories Influence scoring (1-10)
Crisis List "Call dad?" 2-3 contacts Tiered response teams
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🚨 Network Emergencies
"When you need to move fast:"
Disaster First Call Backup Plan
GST Inspection CA + local tax officer's PA Industry association head
Funding Fallthrough Alumni at rival fund Angel investor from temple group
Negative Press Reporter friend + PR fixer Ministry connection to "guide" narrative
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📌 Founder's Network Toolkit
1. The Diwali Gift Grid
o Track who got what (Avoid duplicate gifts to same department)
o Example:
Name Role 2023 Gift 2024 Plan
Mr. Sharma GST Officer Dry fruits Amazon voucher
2. The "Favor Ledger"
o Who owes you (and who you owe):
text
✅ Gave: Intro to Tata buyer
❌ Owe: Wedding invite to IAS batchmate
3. The WhatsApp Broadcast Lists
o "Inner Circle" (10 people) → Crisis mode
o "Industry Peers" (50) → Regular updates
o "Festival Wishes" (500) → Annual touchpoint
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🎯 Final Thought
"In business, your network is your insurance policy. The premiums are chai meetings, and the claims are crisis bailouts."
