HACKER Q&A
📣 rovyko

How to connect with experts outside of the tech domain?


I had an idea that came about after a dinner with an acquaintance, where he told me about the time he used to work as a professional chef. An interesting thing I picked up on was a decision making process that chefs go through by eyeballing some numbers and just going by their gut feeling. I thought the decisions could be made faster and more accurately if the users had an app that showed how their choices would affect their costs in real time. I even put together a small demo, and I think the recovery after the pandemic would be a good opportunity for restaurants to save costs by removing some inefficiencies.

The problems is I have no contacts in the business so I have no way of knowing what users actually need, and whether they would even be open to using insights from an app. Normally that would be the end of it, because I have zero experience in marketing to that sector. But I'm wondering if there's a way for me to get in contact with people in the restaurant industry and see if they'd be interested.

Are there any strategies for making contacts in domains outside of your own? How can you find people to work with you who aren't in tech?

  👤 snoozypants Accepted Answer ✓
The book called "Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick has a section on this. He likes to organize Meetups targeting the types of people you want to meet. But maybe those people don't have time. So also he says there's almost certainly there's a chance you know someone, who knows someone etc. So know what you want to ask, and just put it out into the world on your network e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook etc. "I interested in finding out about x, does anyone know someone in Y/someone who works at Z" etc.
👤 PaulHoule
A well planned "cold call" can break you into any industry.

In times of COVID-19 this does not apply, but if you go to a Subway franchise, a cafe or any kind of restaurant during off hours you might meet the owner or a manager. For years I've gone to the food court at the Subway at the mall and talked with the owner about business and life.