Answer extracted from The Boulos Beat: A Commercial Real Estate Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How did aggressive networking and community building accelerate startup success in a new geographic market?
George Matelich launched Nexus Maine as a Slack-based online community with an initial goal of reaching 100 members, but it grew to over 1,000 members through consistent engagement and value delivery. The platform hosts regular events and publishes a twice-monthly newsletter, helping members find jobs and build professional relationships in a market where he was a complete newcomer just two years ago.
From Isolation to Community: A Self-Defense Strategy That Worked
Matelich describes himself as a hyper-extrovert who relies on aggressive networking as a self-defense mechanism against loneliness when entering unfamiliar territory. Moving from San Francisco to Kennebunk, Maine with virtually no existing connections, he recognized that building a robust professional network wasn't optional—it was essential to his success both personally and entrepreneurially.
Rather than waiting passively for opportunities, he took a strategic approach: creating a digital gathering place where aspiring entrepreneurs, startup founders, and business professionals in Maine could connect. As Matelich explains in the episode, the initial membership target was modest, but the community's value proposition—job opportunities, networking, and peer learning—resonated far more widely than anticipated.
Sustaining Growth Beyond the First Thousand
Nexus Maine's staying power comes from consistent, structured engagement: the platform doesn't rely on sporadic activity but instead maintains momentum through scheduled events and a predictable two-week newsletter cadence. This regularity transformed what could have been a temporary online forum into a durable ecosystem where people genuinely expect to find value.
The tangible outcomes—job placements, professional introductions, and the ability to establish credibility in a new market within months rather than years—demonstrate that aggressive networking isn't just a personality trait; it's a scalable growth strategy that Matelich has documented in detail through Nexus Maine's evolution.
"I wasn't put on this earth to build someone else's dream."
George Matelich — Co-Founder of Rely and Nexus Maine. A 29-year-old software entrepreneur who relocated from San Francisco to Kennebunk, Maine two and a half years ago. Matelich brings deep expertise in software product development and real estate technology, having previously served as product lead at Updater, where he worked on multifamily property management solutions. His aggressive approach to networking and community building reflects both his natural extroversion and a deliberate strategy to accelerate market entry and business growth in unfamiliar territory.
Beyond Nexus Maine, you'll discover in the full conversation how Matelich's philosophy of speed and aggressive action applies to his real estate software company Rely, which compressed due diligence timelines from 90 days to a single day using AI-powered automation.
Key takeaways
- Nexus Maine grew from a target of 100 members to over 1,000 by providing consistent value through events and regular newsletters.
- Aggressive networking serves as a deliberate strategy to overcome geographic unfamiliarity and build credibility rapidly in a new market.
- Structured, predictable engagement (events + biweekly newsletter) converts one-time community members into sustained, active participants.
- Tangible outcomes like job placements and professional introductions validate the community model and reinforce member participation over time.
See also
What prompted a software engineer to relocate from San Francisco to Maine and build a business there?
George Matelich and his wife visited Kennebunk during New Year's 2021-2022 after months of considering Maine as a potential home, and they fell in love with it. Nine months later, they spotted their dream house on the market and made the bold decision to relocate across the country after spending just four cumulative days in the state.
What challenges do office property operators face in the post-pandemic commercial real estate market?
Office property operators face continuous compression of profits and expanding operating expenses as core challenges, driven by tenant evolution and significant market shifts in the post-pandemic era.
What structural impact did COVID-19 have on a Maine-based office portfolio and how did operators adapt?
COVID required significant reinvestment to ensure survival, and the post-pandemic period brought substantial tenant downsizing and portfolio adjustments as operators navigated the new market realities.