When a former Intel executive who spent 20 years navigating Silicon Valley tells you that technology isn’t the answer, you listen.
Rene Torres recently left one of tech’s biggest names to advise startups in AI, robotics, and telecom. He could be talking about neural networks or the latest enterprise software. Instead, he’s obsessed with something far more fundamental:
Relationships.
“The best networkers stay in contact without expecting anything in return,” Rene told me on the latest Future of Human Experience conversation.
That one sentence captures why some people thrive through every technological shift while others constantly scramble to catch up.
The Hidden Currency No One Talks About
Here’s what happens when you leave a big company: you suddenly realize how valuable your network actually was. Not the company’s network, yours.
Rene calls it being “a victim of your own success.” You’re so focused on solving today’s problems that you forget to invest in the relationships that unlock tomorrow’s.
Think about that. When you’re at a successful company, you’re hyper-focused on that company’s problems. You skip the conference. You take the break instead of making the call. You tell yourself you’ll catch up later.
But relationships, like muscles, atrophy when you don’t use them.
The difference? You don’t realize how powerful your network is until you step outside the bubble.
What Startups Taught a Tech Veteran
Rene now advises companies across generative AI, robotics, and telecom. What gets him excited isn’t the technology. It’s helping unlock “huge pieces of their puzzle at an early stage.”
These founders have passion, grit, and determination. What they’re missing? Experience and industry connections.
His most rewarding moments come from opening doors, whether that’s securing funding, establishing industry partnerships, or securing key customers. And he can do that because he spent years building genuine relationships without keeping score.
Here’s the pattern I see everywhere: The people who win in the long term are the ones who treat relationships as infrastructure, not transactions.
They check in about the soccer game, not the quarterly report. They sent the article that made them think of you. They show up, not because they need something, but because that’s who they are.
The One Investment Your Company Won’t Make for You
If your company won’t pay for that conference, pay for it yourself. If you can’t travel, find the local events. Take a day off if you need to.
I tell young professionals this all the time, and they look at me like I’m asking them to climb Everest. But here’s the truth: your network is the only asset that appreciates when the market crashes.
Technology changes. Companies disappear. Industries transform. The relationships you build? Those compound.
And no, I’m not talking about adding strangers on LinkedIn and sending generic messages. One exec I know stays in touch by checking in about Argentina playing Ecuador. Small moments. No agenda. That’s what lasts.
Why AI Makes Relationships More Valuable Than Ever
Rene works with companies at the cutting edge of AI and robotics. His advice? “It’s easy to fall in love with technology. There’s a human side on the other piece of the equation.”
He’s seen this pattern repeatedly, from telecom virtualization to smart grid digitization to warehouse robotics. The technology is ready. The question is always: are the people ready?
I saw this firsthand years ago. A high school student in Oakland created a simple refrigerator sensor that would alert families before their fridge broke down. When an Intel executive asked why, the student said: “I’ve had the same refrigerator for 20 years, and if it goes bad, it’s costly for my family to buy new groceries for my brothers and sisters.”
Pin drop moment.
That executive later told me, “I would have never thought about that solution. Sometimes the greatest solutions come from the bottom up.”
AI can’t have that moment. It can’t feel the weight of that student’s lived experience. It can’t build the trust that led to that honest answer.
As Rene puts it, “AI is an incredible tool, but it’s going to require that human spirit for judgment. Use it as an extension where you can bring your own judgment, morality, and ethics to bear.”
The Question Nobody’s Asking
Everyone wants to know how to keep up with AI. How to stay relevant. How to future-proof their career.
Wrong questions.
The right question: Who are you showing up for?
Because the future belongs to people who understand that:
- AI can process data → Humans build trust
- Automation scales efficiency → Humans create belonging
- Algorithms optimize outcomes → Humans exercise judgment
Technology can elevate our stories and create empathy. It can be used to bring people together. But only if we remember what it’s for.
The next wave of innovation won’t be led by the people who know the most. It’ll be led by the people who connect the most.
Your Move
Before you worry about the next prompt engineering course or AI certification, ask yourself:
- When’s the last time you reached out to someone in your network with zero agenda?
- Who have you helped recently without expecting anything back?
- What relationship are you letting atrophy because you’re “too busy”?
Your network isn’t just professional insurance. It’s the infrastructure of what you’ll build next. And unlike every tech platform you’ve ever used, it gets more valuable the more you give.
The future is still human. Act accordingly.
Listen to my full conversation with Rene Torres on The Future of Human Experience, where we dive deeper into navigating tech transitions, preparing the next generation, and why the best career advice has nothing to do with skills.
Join leaders shaping the Human Era. Subscribe to my newsletter for insights on innovation, leadership, and purpose-driven work.