Pruning for Power: Leveraging Dunbar’s 148 for Networking

Introduction: More Friends, More Power? Not Quite

Ambitious women are often told to “network endlessly” and to collect contacts, stack LinkedIn connections, exchange business cards at every event  and to never stop showing up. But does the size of your network really equal the size of your success?

Not necessarily. According to the Dunbar 148 principle humans can only maintain about 148 meaningful relationships. Recently, studies published in Biology Letters (2021) challenged this, suggesting humans may sustain larger groups, possibly in the mid hundreds, especially with digital tools, but this number is still relatively low compared to the possible connections we can establish in the age of social media.

That doesn’t mean we can’t know more people, but it does mean we can only sustain trust-based, stable relationships with about 148 at a time.

So, here’s the catch: more connections does not necessarily mean more influence. Beyond a certain point, the quality of those relationships weakens and even deteriorates.

For women building wealth, careers, and influence, this is more than a quirky social science statistic. It’s a strategic framework for deciding who belongs in your circle and who doesn’t.

The Science Behind the Numbers

• 148 as a benchmark: Anthropologist Robin Dunbar found consistent group sizes across early societies, armies, and even companies, leading to the famed 148 number.

  
  

• New findings: A 2021 study in Biology Letters used updated models to argue the number may be higher than 148. It may go as high as 500.

  
  

• The truth in practice: Despite larger possible counts, stable, trust-based ties rarely exceed 150–200. MIT research shows people consistently interact with a much smaller active circle (4–15 at any one time).

Why This Matters for Ambitious Women

Women in business are frequently faced with dual pressures to prove themselves in male-dominated spaces while also managing the emotional labor of relationships. The Dunbar principle provides us with a freeing truth that we are not wired to maintain hundreds of meaningful connections. We are wired to curate.

For women working on building careers and wealth, that means flipping the networking script. Instead of exhausting ourselves by scattering attention across thousands, we gain more power by carefully choosing your 148.

Quality Over Quantity in Wealth-Building

Consider McKinsey’s 2022 report on women in leadership that found that women with sponsors are 22% more likely to be promoted. Yet, they continue to find that sponsors are rare and impossible to cultivate when you’re stretched across thousands of weak ties.

Wealth is rarely built through shallow mass contacts. It comes from:

• Mentors and Sponsors: Women who accelerate often have fewer but stronger ties to high-level sponsors who advocate for them behind closed doors.

  
  

• Peers and Collaborators: Instead of hundreds of “friendly contacts,” prioritize the 10–15 peers who challenge you to think bigger.

  
  

• Clients and Partners: A core set of loyal, recurring clients can generate more stability than chasing dozens of one-off deals.

When curated with intention, your 148 becomes not just a network, but a wealth-building machine.

Defining Your Circle of 148

Think of your 148 as an investment portfolio. Every connection should either add value, create opportunity, or bring meaning.

Here’s a framework:

1. Inner Circle (5–10 people): Your closest confidantes, mentors and partners.

   
   

2. Growth Circle (35–50 people): Active collaborators, clients, investors, and peers.

   
   

3. Outer Circle (up to 88): Professional acquaintances who provide introductions, inspiration, or potential collaborations.

   
   

Atelier Tip: Audit your connections. If someone hasn’t engaged with you in over a year and offers little relevance to your goals, consider moving them outside your core circle. Protect your bandwidth and allow space for more relevant connections.

The Power of Reciprocity

Strong networks are not only transactional, they are reciprocal. A smaller, more curated circle allows you to show up for others consistently and intentionally. That can show up in many different forms from sending referrals, offering introductions, or amplifying their work.

The return? When opportunities circulate, your name is at the top of the list. Studies in organizational behavior confirm that trust-based reciprocity compounds over time, far outperforming surface-level contacts.

For ambitious women, this reciprocity becomes a defense against exclusionary “old boys’ clubs.” By curating and deeply nurturing your own 148, you’re building a modern, femme-forward club of influence.

The Pitfalls of Oversaturation

It’s easy to get seduced by vanity metrics. Ten thousand Instagram followers. Five thousand LinkedIn connections. But when everyone gets a little piece of you, no one gets enough to matter.

Oversaturation leads to:

• Weakened Trust: Shallow connections. Individuals who will not advocate for you.

  
  

• Burnout: Emotional energy wasted.

  
  

• Missed Opportunities: If someone doesn't know you, how can they vouch for you?

  
  

Think of your 148 as leverage. Diluting it weakens your influence. Honoring it strengthens it.

How to Start Curating Your 148

Step 1: Define Your Values. Who aligns with your goals professionally and personally?

Step 2: Identify Your Top 20. Who are the people you’d text with an urgent win OR a setback?

Step 3: Audit Annually. Like your investment portfolio, your network evolves. Be ruthless about pruning.

Step 4: Invest Deeply. Reach out regularly and add value without expectation.

Step 5: Protect Boundaries. Don’t overextend. Your energy is as valuable as your capital.

The Atelier Takeaway

The exact number may be debated, but the principle holds: beyond a certain threshold, depth diminishes. This understanding is liberating. The pressure to maintain unsustainable connections all but disappears.

By curating our circle with strategy, we protect our energy, amplify our influence, and accelerate our path to wealth.

In the end, a woman with 148 intentional relationships is more powerful than a man with 1,000 superficial ones.