Early-stage founders are constantly told to “leverage their network,” but few are given practical guidance on how to do it in a way that’s intentional, human, and scalable.
Huge thank you to Alex Chung, master connector and Head of Growth at Goodword for leading us through a fast, tactical walkthrough of how founders can turn relationships into real leverage for fundraising, customers, hiring, and long-term credibility.
Here’s what we covered:
The Mindset Shift
Your network is a strategic asset, not a contact list. The founders who win at fundraising, hiring, and selling aren’t the ones with the most connections — they’re the ones with the most intention.
The Framework
→ Fundraising — warm intros convert at 10x the rate of cold outreach
→ Customers — your first customers are already in your network
→ Hiring — the best hires come through people, not job boards
→ Credibility — reputation compounds when you connect others generously
The Systems
→ A simple follow-up cadence (weekly, monthly, quarterly by tier)
→ The warm intro formula (double opt-in, context for both sides, close the loop)
→ Reconnection signals — how to know who to reach out to and when
If you want to put this frameworks into practice, Goodword is the tool that makes it stick. It handles the context, the follow-ups, and the timing, so you can focus on actually building the relationships.
About Graham & Walker
Graham & Walker is an early-stage venture fund backing extraordinary founders and ideas that break the mold.
For more information, please visit https://grahamwalker.com
