The quality of a conversation is usually determined by the quality of the question. That's why at our Founders & Builders social, we banned one question: "What do you do?"
Not because it's a bad question. It's just a predictable one. And predictable questions tend to lead to predictable conversations.
Instead, people introduced themselves with questions like:
Something interesting happened. People laughed. They shared stories. They learned things about each other that had nothing to do with work.
And only then did the business conversations begin. Not product pitches. Not networking scripts. Real conversations. Things like:
Those are conversations worth having. Because people don't build relationships through job titles. They build them through shared experiences, curiosity, vulnerability, and trust.
By the end of the night, everyone had exchanged contact information. People stayed long after the event ended. A group even continued the conversation over dinner until midnight.
That's the magic of asking better questions. And it's one of the reasons I continue building 3rd Space Bucharest. A place where strangers become familiar faces and sometimes even friends.
When you design the questions, you design the energy in the room. Predictable questions lead to forgettable conversations. But when you ask something unexpected, people open up. They laugh, they share, and real connections happen.
The secret to great networking events isn't the venue or the drinks. It's the questions you ask.
Try banning "What do you do?" at your next event and see what happens.
