If you want someone’s respect on the internet, do not send them a novel about your life story. Instead, send them a link to something you’re working on. It doesn’t matter what the link is. It could be a:

• Link to a podcast

• Link to a blog

• Link to a project

• Link to anything you worked on

Why does this matter? Well, people who don’t share links use words to convince people to respect them or meet with them. Words are for people who plan/dream, but don’t create. Links are for people who create. On the internet, everyone has very limited attention. Hundreds of people could be reaching out a month to the same person you reached out to. A link helps anyone stand out.

Don’t have a link to share? Then what are you doing reaching out to random people on the internet for? You need no one’s permission to create. Start building and then share what you build with people. Don’t try to “pick brains” to figure out what you should work on. No one has time for that. Just work on something. Anything. Then share the link.

People online want to work with other smart and ambitious people. You aren’t these things just because you say you are. You are smart because you simply are. If this is true, there is no need to share with words why you are worth the time of someone else on the internet. You will lose them. Instead, share a link with a one liner on what it is. A link is a function to your ambition and its a gateway to respect on the internet. You want respect online? Lead with links, not words.