Tech on Tap November 2025 Recap
Harold Hughes on Building Social Capital That Changes Trajectories
Our final Tech on Tap of 2025 brought serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and author, Harold Hughes to share wisdom on the most underutilized resource in entrepreneurship: social capital.
About Harold Hughes
Harold Hughes is the founder and CEO of NFNTE Capital, focused on helping entrepreneurs build better through collaboration, communication, and community. Before launching NFNTE Capital, he led Bandwagon, a South Carolina-based live experience technology company, raising over $4.5M in venture capital and successfully acquiring IdealSeat, Inc. in 2020. Their customers included Fortune 50 brands, entertainers, and professional and collegiate athletes.
Understanding Social Capital: Beyond Financial Capital
Harold opened by breaking down different types of capital that drive business success. While most founders focus solely on financial capital, Harold emphasized that social capital — the relationships, networks, and institutions that support trust and collaboration — is often the differentiator between companies that struggle and those that thrive.
"While so much emphasis is placed on venture capital, we believe social capital is a largely untapped resource," Harold explained. "Most people are unable to move beyond transactional relationships into community-sustained relationships."
The Seven Traits That Build Social Capital
Harold's framework for building authentic social capital centers on seven key traits:
Authenticity - Be genuinely yourself in every interaction. People can sense when you're performing versus when you're real.
Empathy - "Be empathetic and genuine, ask questions, be a curious learner," Harold emphasized. Understanding others' perspectives and challenges creates deeper connections.
Curiosity - Approach every conversation with genuine interest in learning something new about the person or their work.
Engaged - Show up fully present. Put your phone down. Listen actively. Make people feel seen and heard.
Approachable - Create an environment where people feel comfortable reaching out to you, asking questions, or seeking advice.
Resourceful - "Seek out knowledge at every turn," Harold advised. Be the person who connects others to resources, opportunities, and people they need.
Impactful - Harold posed a powerful question: "How are you leaving people after you share with them? What feeling and impact are you making?" Every interaction should create value.
Be Problem-Obsessed, Not Solution-Obsessed
One of Harold's most powerful insights for founders was about mindset: "Founders need to be problem-obsessed. Those are the ones that develop the best empathy and understanding of their customers. That deep customer understanding leads to more success."
This shift changes everything—from how you conduct customer interviews to how you build products. When you're obsessed with the problem rather than your solution, you stay curious, you ask better questions, and you build something people actually need.
Your Time Is Your Most Valuable Asset
"Your time is the one resource you spend constantly. You don't know how much of it you have left—spend it wisely," Harold reminded the room.
This isn't just philosophical advice. It's practical guidance on who you build relationships with, which events you attend, and where you invest your limited energy. Every coffee meeting, every networking event, every conversation is a choice about how you're spending your finite time.
Tactical Networking Strategies
Harold didn't just talk theory, he shared specific tactics for making connections that matter:
Do your homework. Going to a conference or speaking event? Research the speakers beforehand. Understand their work and challenges. "Stroke their ego and ask a thoughtful question," Harold advised. Show them you've done the work to understand their expertise.
Follow up. Always. This is where most people drop the ball. The initial conversation is just the beginning —t he real relationship builds in the follow-up. Send that email. Make that introduction. Keep the connection alive.
Think strategically about conferences. Don't just show up and wander. Have a plan for who you want to meet and what you want to learn. Position yourself to have meaningful interactions, not just collect business cards.
The Challenge: What Will You Do With It?
Harold closed with the statement that resonated with the purpose of Tech on Tap:
"There are people in this room that will change your life and trajectory. What are you going to do with it?"
It's a reminder that social capital isn't built at exclusive conferences or through calculated networking strategies alone. It's built right here in Columbia, at events like Tech on Tap, when you show up with genuine curiosity and actually follow through on the connections you make.
Key Takeaways
Be problem-obsessed to build deep customer empathy that leads to better products and business decisions.
Cultivate the seven traits - authenticity, empathy, curiosity, engagement, approachability, resourcefulness, and impact—in every interaction.
Do your research before networking events and conferences. Thoughtful preparation creates meaningful conversations.
Follow up consistently. The relationship begins after the initial meeting, not during it.
Audit your network. The five people you spend the most time with are literally shaping who you become. Choose wisely.
Create value in every interaction. Think about how you're leaving people better than you found them.
Act on opportunities in your community. The person who will change your trajectory might be sitting in a Tech on Tap event right now.
Social capital isn't built overnight, but it compounds when you invest consistently in authentic relationships. As Harold demonstrated, it's not about knowing everyone — it's about building real connections with the right people and being genuinely resourceful for your community.
The question isn't whether social capital matters. It's whether you're investing in it intentionally.
Looking to learn more about Harold Hughes? Follow and connect with him on LinkedIn here.
Photos by The Good Habit Photography.
What is Tech On Tap?
Tech on Tap is our monthly series bringing together Columbia's tech community for expert insights and real connections, every third Thursday from 5-6:30pm at the Boyd Innovation Center. Featured speakers share practical lessons from their founder journeys, followed by networking over drinks and light bites. It's where Columbia's tech founders, professionals, and future entrepreneurs gather to learn, connect, and grow.
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