Why Your Network—Not Your Expertise—Is More Critical In Building A Business

Forbes - Feb 12th, 2025
Open on Forbes

Ganesh Shankar, CEO and cofounder of Responsive, reflects on the early days of the company and shares his strategic approach to ensuring long-term success. Recognizing the limitations of his own experience, Shankar emphasized the importance of surrounding himself with seasoned advisors, potential customers, and partners who could provide valuable insights into proposal management challenges. By focusing on leveraging network effects, Shankar successfully built a customer base and a high-performing team, highlighting the importance of nurturing personal networks for achieving business goals.

Shankar's experience underscores the significance of prioritizing customer acquisition, team building, and prudent fundraising. His approach involved building lasting relationships, rapidly responding to customer feedback, and utilizing referrals to enhance team cohesion and cultural fit. Shankar advocates for a humble and nimble mindset, encouraging founders to seek help and utilize their networks to drive business growth. The story illustrates the power of human network effects in scaling a startup from its inception to a market leader in strategic response management.

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RATING

7.2
Fair Story
Consider it well-founded

The article effectively shares Ganesh Shankar's personal experiences and insights into founding and growing Responsive, providing valuable lessons for entrepreneurs. It excels in clarity and accuracy, presenting a coherent narrative supported by Shankar's credible perspective. However, the article could benefit from more diverse sources and perspectives to enhance balance and source quality. While the story is engaging and informative for those interested in entrepreneurship, its broader public interest and impact are limited. The inclusion of more current industry trends and broader societal implications could increase its relevance and influence. Overall, the article is a well-written piece that offers practical insights, though it could be strengthened by addressing some of the noted limitations.

RATING DETAILS

8
Accuracy

The story is largely accurate in its portrayal of Ganesh Shankar as the CEO and co-founder of Responsive, as well as the company's status as a market leader in strategic response management. These claims align with verified sources. The narrative about network effects and customer acquisition strategies also holds up well against the evidence provided by Responsive's documented growth. However, some claims, such as the statistic about new hires through referrals, lack direct sourcing and thus require further verification. Overall, the article is truthful and precise, but a few areas could benefit from additional source support to enhance verifiability.

7
Balance

The article provides a balanced perspective on the challenges and strategies involved in founding and scaling a company like Responsive. It focuses on Ganesh Shankar's experiences and insights, offering a personal viewpoint that is well-rounded by discussing both successes and lessons learned. However, the article primarily presents the perspective of Shankar and does not include viewpoints from other stakeholders such as employees or industry analysts, which could provide a more comprehensive view of the company's impact and strategies.

8
Clarity

The article is written in clear and accessible language, making it easy for readers to follow the narrative. The structure is logical, with a coherent flow from Shankar's reflections on founding Responsive to the lessons he learned. The tone is neutral and professional, which aids in maintaining reader engagement. However, the inclusion of unrelated topics, such as iOS updates and tariffs, could confuse readers and detract from the main focus of the story.

6
Source quality

The article relies heavily on Ganesh Shankar's narrative and insights, which are credible given his position and experience. However, it lacks a variety of external sources or third-party validations that could strengthen the reliability and impartiality of the reporting. The absence of diverse sources means that the article largely reflects Shankar's subjective experience, which may introduce bias or omit alternative viewpoints. Including authoritative sources or industry data could enhance the credibility of the claims made.

7
Transparency

The article is transparent in its intent to share Ganesh Shankar's personal journey and insights into building Responsive. It clearly outlines the basis for its claims, primarily drawing from Shankar's experiences. However, it would benefit from more explicit disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest, such as Shankar's financial interests in Responsive. Additionally, explaining the methodology behind certain claims, like the network effects on hiring, would provide readers with a clearer understanding of the claim basis.

Sources

  1. https://alejandrocremades.com/ganesh-shankar/
  2. https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-j7lqtb2izuv4s
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5BGvOMFjNo
  4. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240506090231/en/Responsive-Unveils-AI-Powered-Strategic-Response-Management-Platform-to-Drive-Faster-Revenue-Growth
  5. https://www.responsive.io/news/rfpio-ceo-award-ey/