I got good at networking on LinkedIn. I realized that it didn't need to be weird, any more than meeting new people at events is weird. Over time, it became just as useful a tool as actually meeting people in person, only I could do it anywhere.

It helps if you've not got the option of discovering new people at events, for example like the way things are now. It's making it hard for people who rely on face-2-face to develop relationships with new prospects.

Separately, I always had this sense that it helps to have a trio: skills, domain expertise, and a professional network. It took a while to build up all three, and it's a process that's never done, but I always sensed to work towards having not just one or two but all three.