Today I was invited to a “second-degree” dinner by a friend of mine – he co-hosted with someone, and they each invited someone the other co-host didn’t know but would get on with. Subsequently, those people invited would also invite someone the co-host they were invited by didn’t know in order to bring a “second-degree” to the table.
I mentioned this to those round the table, but I really liked this format and idea as it’s hard to meet smart people, as shocking as that may sound in a place like London.
This works very well because I trust the person who invited me – if they’re organising a dinner, the qualification filter is already quite high. Therefore, I’m expecting a good level of conversation. This makes me more selective over who I choose to invite.
Formats like this help you to meet smart people who have already been vetted by your smart friends, and it’s a great way to optimise for smart convetsations.