I've hired people with incredible networks on paper who couldn't deliver when it mattered.
Big logos. Thousands of connections. Years of experience. But when I needed them to leverage their network—whether it was a CMO bringing in top marketing talent, a CTO hiring senior engineers, or a Talent Lead filling critical roles—it took months. Sometimes it just didn't happen.
Then I've worked with people who had a fraction of the connections but got it done. Four hires where others managed one. Engineering, product, design, ops. Fast.
I kept asking myself: what's actually different here?
Everyone evaluates networks the same way. Connection count. LinkedIn followers. Years at top companies. But none of that tells you if someone can actually move their network when it counts.
In crypto and AI, talent gets snapped up in days and entire categories emerge in months. Speed beats size every time.
I started calling this Network Velocity.
𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 = 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 + 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 + 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Can you activate relationships in hours, not weeks? Can you recruit across domains—tech, design, ops, GTM, leadership? Are you embedded in the industries you work in, or just collecting contacts?
If someone's network can't reach across functions and industries, you're stuck the moment your needs shift. And in fast markets, they will.
Most people don't think about networks this way. That's why measuring network velocity matters—whether you're hiring a CMO, CTO, Head of Talent, or any leadership role where their network drives results.
I wrote the full thing: how to measure it, the questions that reveal it, how to build it as a founder.
New from 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿:
https://paragraph.com/@theonchainrecruiter/network-velocity-evaluating-hiring-networks-for-speed-not-size
