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The Power of Dunbar’s Number in the Digital Age

Optimizing Your Network: The Power of Dunbar’s Number in the Digital Age

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by

Jeff Hopp
in

The Limits of Human Connection

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” While this is a powerful insight into influence and personal growth, there’s a bigger picture at play. Social scientist Robin Dunbar proposed that humans can only maintain meaningful relationships with about 150 people at any given time. This concept, known as Dunbar’s Number, has stood the test of time, even as technology pushes us toward endless connections.

Yet, in an era of hyperconnectivity, we need to ask: Are we using technology to strengthen our most important relationships or diluting them by chasing quantity over quality?

This article will break down the science of Dunbar’s Number, analyze how modern technology challenges or supports it, and provide actionable strategies to cultivate your core network intentionally.

Understanding Dunbar’s Number: More Friends, Less Depth?

Dunbar’s research found that human brains are wired for different levels of social connection:

  • Inner Circle (5): Your ride-or-die relationships—the people you trust most.
  • Close Network (15): Family and deep friendships that provide emotional and strategic support.
  • Meaningful Connections (50): Friends, colleagues, and allies you engage with regularly.
  • Broader Network (150): The outer layer of stable social relationships.

Beyond 150, interactions become increasingly transactional and impersonal. While technology allows us to “connect” with thousands, it doesn’t expand our brain’s capacity for meaningful relationships.

The challenge? Most people don’t actively curate their core network, leading to weaker relationships and scattered attention.

The Current Situation: Technology, Social Networks & Overload

1. The Illusion of Connection

Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook enable us to maintain thousands of connections, but how many of them truly matter? Research shows that despite having thousands of followers, users still primarily interact with a small subset of their network—reinforcing Dunbar’s theory.

2. Relationship Fatigue & Connection Overload

  • Endless notifications trick us into feeling connected without deepening relationships.
  • Too many shallow ties while our core relationships suffer from neglect.
  • Digital noise drowns out depth, making it harder to nurture meaningful connections.

3. The Impact of Network Quality on Growth

Jim Rohn’s famous quote applies here: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” But in reality, it’s not just five—it’s your entire core network. Your connections shape your thinking, habits, and opportunities.

The key to success? Being intentional about the people you prioritize and ensuring your network aligns with your vision.

How to Leverage Systems & Tools to Strengthen Your Core Network

Instead of passively collecting connections, let’s be strategic and intentional about who we engage with.

1. Identify Your “True Network”

Audit Your Relationships

  • Reflect on the people you engage with regularly.
  • Group them based on depth of connection: inner circle, close allies, meaningful connections, and extended network.
  • Ask: Does this person uplift me, challenge me, or inspire me? If not, consider limiting your time with them.

Curate & Prioritize

  • Strengthen high-value relationships: Invest time in the people who matter most.
  • Reduce network clutter: Stop passively maintaining weak ties that don’t serve your growth.
  • Align connections with your goals: Who should you be surrounding yourself with?

2. Use Tech to Enhance (Not Replace) Relationships

The right tools can help manage relationships without losing authenticity:

  • CRM & Contact Management: Dex, Notion, Airtable, and GoHighLevel can help track interactions and manage key relationships.
  • Automated Check-ins: Fabriq or Wave can remind you to check in with important contacts at the right time.
  • AI-Assisted Networking: AI can suggest who to reconnect with based on past engagement (e.g., Clay, GoHighLevel automation sequences).

3. Nurture Relationships with Purpose

  • Schedule Deep Conversations: Weekly calls with your inner circle, bi-weekly check-ins with your close network.
  • Leverage Mastermind Groups: Structured accountability fosters deeper relationships and shared growth.
  • Quality Over Quantity: Instead of engaging passively on social media, invest in 1:1 or small-group interactions.

The Future of Network Optimization: Depth Over Breadth

As AI and digital tools evolve, we have an opportunity: to be more deliberate about our connections, rather than passively accumulating them.

Shifting From “More” to “Better”

  • Prioritize relationship depth over network size.
  • Use technology to facilitate meaningful interactions.
  • Strengthen high-trust communities over loose digital ties.

By curating a core network and aligning it with your personal and professional growth, you don’t just optimize your relationships—you create a mastermind effect that accelerates success.

Final Takeaways: How to Apply This Today

  • Step 1: Reflect on your relationships and identify key connections.
  • Step 2: Reduce passive, low-value connections that drain energy.
  • Step 3: Invest in your core network through mastermind groups, structured engagement, and deep interactions.
  • Step 4: Leverage technology (GoHighLevel, Dex, Fabriq) to enhance, not replace, real connections.
  • Step 5: Be intentional—your network is your greatest asset.

Remember: Your relationships dictate your trajectory. Choose wisely. Nurture deliberately. Build strategically.

What’s Next? Want to cultivate a high-value network? Join a Mastermind Better group and surround yourself with people who challenge and inspire you. Apply today and build a network that amplifies your success!