Small talk ideas that aren't weather or weekend plans

Hey Camila, I skip weather and weekends and ask about the work context we already share. Try "What brought you to this event?" or "Which session on the agenda are you most curious about?" Role-oriented works too: "What problem is your team focused on right now?" Process-oriented sparks specifics: "What tool or workflow saved you the most time lately?" People like to talk about origin stories and so "How did you end up in this role?" usually opens the door to a real conversation.

Use specifics around you to warm it up and then follow with a how or why. If they mention a project, ask "What surprised you once you started?" and then "How did you decide on that approach?" If they have a product on their badge, try "What does a good day look like for you with that system?" Concrete example: at a data meetup last month I asked someone which metric they check first every morning, and we ended up comparing activation vs retention definitions and sketching a quick funnel on a napkin.

Skip weather & weekends and go straight to work-adjacent stuff that people actually have opinions about. Idk, this works for me because it sounds curious without being nosy. I open with things like what brought you to this event, what session has been useful so far, or what problem are you trying to solve this month. Ask how they ended up in their role or what they wish people understood about their team. Opinions are easy to share, so try what tool have you actually liked lately or what would you kill if you could. Last month I asked someone what they wished they could automate and we ended up trading quick scripts in the hallway. A quick question like what surprised you on that project gets people telling stories instead of giving status. If it feels stiff, I pivot to the environment because it is shared reality. Stuff like this venue is a maze, how did you navigate the badge line, or is the coffee drinkable breaks the ice without small talk clichés. From there I mirror their energy and ask why a lot. Then I bail clean with good to meet you, I am going to grab water.

Networking chit chat feels like paying for a subscription I never wanted. I refuse the fake weekend spiel and the premium puffed up smiles. I point at something real and ask for an opinion and like that badge printer keeps jamming, how would you fix it, or got a free tool that beats the paid ones.

Idk man, asking about what podcasts people are into has worked for me at these work things. It's straightforward and usually leads to them sharing recommendations or why they like certain ones. Sometimes it turns into talking about books or shows if they're not big on podcasts.

Another one is commenting on the food or drinks if it's a catered event. Like, hey, have you tried this appetizer? It's simple and can spark chats about favorite foods or cooking at home. I've had conversations go from that to travel stories when someone mentions a dish from a trip.

Or just ask what project they're working on lately at work. Keeps it professional but can get into interesting details without being too personal. This one has helped me connect with folks from other departments.

All these networking events drive me nuts with everyone pretending to care about dumb stuff and and don't get me started on how they waste money on fancy setups when we could just chat for free. I usually grumble about subscription services being a rip-off and ask if they've found any good free alternatives for apps or whatever. It sparks rants about costs and sometimes leads to sharing tinkering hacks.