Give Away the Cards

Give people what they want freely—it compounds over time

Ayo Omojola
Frameworks for product differentiation, team building, and first principles thinking

Give Away the Cards

"One of my core philosophies in life is that everybody wants something. And most of the time it's not something you have to give, or you can connect them to. But, if it is something that you have to give, or you can connect them to, it's criminal not to, actually." - Ayo Omojola

What It Is

Give Away the Cards is a networking and relationship philosophy that treats generosity as a default behavior. The framework argues that when you can help someone—whether through an introduction, information, or opportunity—and there's no real cost to you, failing to help is "criminal."

This philosophy was modeled for Ayo by Russell Fradin, who once told him: "I'm not going to invest in your company, I think it's stupid. But here are all these people who might, go meet them." That transformational act of generosity—helping someone you can't directly profit from—shaped Ayo's approach.

The key insight is that over a long enough time horizon, giving freely compounds. You don't need to hold cards close to your chest and strategically deploy favors. Just give them away.

How It Works

The Thought Experiment: Imagine having a conversation with someone who knows you want something, has the ability to give it to you, faces no real cost in doing so... and just doesn't. How would that feel?

Now flip it: Are you that person to others?

The Operationalization:

  1. Identify what the other person wants
  2. Assess whether you can help (directly or through connection)
  3. If yes and there's no real cost, help immediately
  4. Don't keep score or expect reciprocation

The Scale: Ayo made ~600 introductions in one year, leading to:

  • Advisors placed at companies
  • Job placements
  • Angel investments in companies
  • Lead investors for funding rounds

How to Apply It

  1. Ask what people want - In conversations, try to understand what the other person is optimizing for or struggling with.

  2. Audit your network - Who do you know? What introductions could you make? What information do you have that others need?

  3. Remove the gating function - Don't wait for people to ask. If you can help, offer proactively.

  4. Be explicit - Tell people directly: "Hey, it looks like what you want is X. Can I connect you to this person or opportunity?"

  5. Accept the math - Most of what you give won't come back directly. But over years, the compound effect is substantial.

  6. Don't hold cards close - The default should be generosity, not strategic withholding. Just give them away.

When to Use It

  • Networking: Making connections between people in your network
  • Mentorship: Helping people earlier in their careers
  • Team building: Creating a culture of mutual support
  • Hiring: Building long-term relationships with future candidates
  • Angel investing: Supporting founders beyond just capital
  • Any relationship: The philosophy applies universally

Source

  • Guest: Ayo Omojola
  • Episode: "Frameworks for product differentiation, team building, and first principles thinking"
  • Key Discussion: (29:31) - The core philosophy; (30:16) - Russell Fradin story
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

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