Turned this late night scribble into a LinkedIn post.

Because, why not let some kindness into the world.

I reply to everyone on LinkedIn. Even if I can’t refer them, even if their message feels like a template sent to many others, or even if the queries are repetitive, like asking about a recent interview experience and even to those simple “glad to connect” messages, because I don’t think it hurts to say, “glad to connect too, friend!”

I don’t mind or correct the folks who sometimes call me “sir” either, because back in the day, I’ve done all these things myself.

I used to vividly look up to the people from these great companies and startups I dreamed of working at, sending them connection requests for guidance or sometimes purely out of appreciation.

Out of the 10k followers I’ve crossed recently, I probably initiated most of those connection requests myself. RIP those countless requests that were rejected or are still pending!

But LinkedIn networking does help. It has helped me immensely in my own career, by providing visibility and opportunities to connect with some amazing people who were kind enough to guide me in the right direction, and I feel I owe it to them to give back in some way.

I’m definitely not an influencer, mentor, subject matter expert, or any kind of authority. And I believe there are way better people out there who can provide much better guidance, but I still try to help to the best of my ability whenever someone reaches out to me. After one such recent interaction, I even added this to my to-do list: start topmate with pure intentions, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.

Not for followers, influence, personal branding, or side income, but because I’d rather spend that extra hour on weekends, sharing insights and experiences to help out someone in their early career, over scrolling through Instagram.

So yeah, it’s hard to keep your inbox clear of any pending replies, but it sure gives a good night’s sleep knowing that your help, however insignificant it may seem to you, might turn out to be pretty significant for someone in their journey :)