In social network terms Robert plays the combined roles of the connector and maven. In his connector aspect he is a liaison that connects different groups together. From Tipping Point connectors "link us up with the world ... people with a special gift for bringing the world together, they are a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack for making friends and acquaintances". In his maven aspect Robert, as he lives and tries to solve problems in his own life, is continually testing out different products and has a considerable expertise in those areas. It's not his role to be a deep technical expert, that's an in-group function. Without people like Robert there would be much less radiation of information between the startup and thought leader groups and the broader user community. That's a rare and valuable service, one Robert peruses with a passion.