If you're the average of the five partnerships you maintain...

...then your business is a math equation. Not hope. Not resilience. Just math.

If your networking is based on relying on five underperforming businesses, you'r the sixth business.

If you align with five strategic allies, you won’t just survive a downturn. You’ll exit stronger.

But here’s the dirty truth: Everyone tells companies to "build the right relationships."

No one tells them how.

This article fixes that.

The Problem with Corporate Isolation

In downturns, most companies shrink inward.

They cut marketing. Delay innovation. Cancel travel. Cancel deals.

But here’s what the data shows: opportunities shift during crisis, not disappear.

Firms that isolate miss the early signals. They get left behind while smarter competitors forge deeper alliances, grab market share, and out-innovate everyone else.

Remember: your growth trajectory is shaped by your proximity to the right people, not just your internal execution.

You Don’t Stumble into Strategic Opportunity. You Engineer It.

At Maldicore, we’ve helped clients weather everything from COVID-19 disruptions to currency devaluations and digital revolutions.

The winners? The ones who got in better rooms.

• Companies who formed alliances while others paused.
• Leaders who co-developed IP with global peers.
• Startups who shared infrastructure and survived winter.

Downtime is not the time to isolate. It’s the time to collaborate intentionally.

The Corporate Rule of 10%: Network Like Your Longevity Depends On It

Because it does.

"Take 10% of your executive calendar and budget for proximity. Even in downturns. Especially in downturns." Yusuf Abdulla Shunan, MD, Maldicore.

While competitors cut external initiatives, you deepen partnerships.

While they hoard cash, you invest in relational capital.

Because it’s not just about surviving today. It’s about positioning for tomorrow.

Where The Right Rooms Are (And How To Position Your Company in Them)

• Strategic Coalitions: Join or initiate multi-company working groups around tech, sustainability, AI, or finance.
• Advisory Boards: Build a diversified external board that gives real-time insight and access.
• Capital Networks: Stay connected with VCs, PE firms, and accelerators even when you're not fundraising.
• Private Masterminds: Invest in CEO forums and curated leadership summits where ideas and alliances spark.

One Conversation = Years of Acceleration

One of our clients attended a shareholder meeting. They almost didn’t speak to the person next to them.

That connection turned into an M&A deal that unlocked distribution into 14 countries. It wasn’t on a pitch deck. It started with proximity.

This is what engineering opportunity looks like.

Your Strategic Network Is Your Operating System

Execution matters.

But in volatile seasons, the best companies win because they:

• Get early insights before markets react.
• Co-invest or share risk with others.
• Get referrals to opportunities no RFP can reveal.

Proximity isn't a luxury. It's infrastructure.

The Two Strategic Mistakes to Avoid

1. Lockdown Mentality: Cutting off external engagement completely.
2. Scattershot Hustle: Chasing every room without strategic intent.

The best companies build a tiered ecosystem:

• Free networks (trade groups, Slack channels)
• Mid-tier memberships (industry forums, growth alliances)
• High-tier councils (invite-only summits, investment clubs)

10–20% of your attention should be there. Always.

What You Should Do Now

1. Audit Your Five: Who are your top 5 institutional relationships? Are they moving you forward?
2. Join One New Room: In the next 30 days, have your leadership team attend or co-host an event with strategic peers.
3. Strengthen Your Signal: Don’t wait to be found. Publish your insights. Show up. Offer help.
4. Build a Luck Engine: The Rockefeller rule: "Luck favors the networked." Don’t bet the future on isolation.

Tough markets reveal who planned for them.

The companies that engineer proximity win faster, recover stronger, and build legacy beyond disruption.

The question is: who are you sitting next to when the next big opportunity shows up?

At Maldicore, we help companies create elite ecosystems. From investor access and strategic alliances to global executive summits, we engineer the networks that drive resilience and revenue.

If you're ready to stop waiting for opportunity and start engineering it, we’re ready to advise. Reach out. Let’s get your company in the right room.