A 2025 study by professors and researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and Uppsala University, explored a question often overlooked: What happens when entrepreneurs step outside their circle of known contacts and engage with strangers?
Through 31 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs in Nairobi, the researchers found that strangers play a surprisingly central role in the growth of new ventures. On average, 35 percent of the most important ties mentioned by these entrepreneurs began as strangers. In fact, 15 of the 26 founders interviewed named at least one stranger among their five most influential connections.
These new ties were formed either by careful planning, approaching a specific person with a clear purpose, or through serendipity such as chance encounters at events or online.
Over time, some strangers became friends, others turned into business partners, and many emerged as role models. The benefits most often cited were learning, referrals that boosted legitimacy, and inspiration that shaped entrepreneurial identity.
The human side of stranger ties
The stories show that reaching out to strangers is not just about expanding networks. It is also about expanding horizons. One founder described how a chance conversation at a conference led to a mentorship that opened up an entirely new path of growth. Another spoke of how simply watching a successful entrepreneur online gave him the courage to persist.
These ties matter because they bring freshness. Friends and family offer support and stability, but strangers offer something different: new perspectives, unexpected introductions, and the possibility of becoming someone to look up to. In contexts of uncertainty, such as Nairobi’s fast-moving entrepreneurial scene, this openness to strangers became a way to create serendipity, discoveries that are both surprising and valuable.
These findings point to practical lessons for entrepreneurs and leaders:
- Balance the familiar with the new. Strong and weak ties provide trust and continuity. Stranger ties provide novelty and opportunity. Both are needed.
- Embrace serendipity. Not every important connection can be planned. Chance encounters often prove pivotal.
- See strangers as future partners. Today’s unknown contact may become tomorrow’s collaborator, mentor, or customer.
- Identity is shaped through others. Strangers, even those never met in person, can inspire new ways of thinking about work and purpose.
- Networks must evolve. Adding new ties and letting some fade is essential to keep networks dynamic and aligned with changing needs.
Putting the findings to work
Entrepreneurs who open themselves to strangers create room for both surprise and opportunity. Tools like Covve can support this by making it easier to capture new connections, track notes and follow up, and turn introductions into lasting connections.
Practical steps include reaching out beyond comfort zones, being deliberate about follow ups, and using systems that keep new relationships alive. In this way, entrepreneurs can balance the security of familiar contacts with the fresh energy of strangers.
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Written on 27 Nov 2025.
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