That said, I’ve seen a lot of early-stage founders outside major hubs (or first-time builders) struggle to access those same circles. For them, even getting visibility with the right investors is tough.

Warm intros are always best, but it feels like founders today need a mix — network where you can, and use smarter tools or systems to fill the gap when geography or timing works against you.

That said, I think the line between “resourcefulness” and “access” is thinner than it seems. A lot of early founders are putting in the effort - they’re just not starting from networks where investor intros are even possible.

Warm intros are ideal, but discovery shouldn’t depend entirely on who you already know. Sometimes a founder just needs a way to start genuine conversations - even if it begins cold.

But early traction itself often needs a bit of capital or network to get started - kind of a chicken-and-egg problem for first-time founders. That’s why I think discovery and outreach still matter early on, just to get those first few conversations going before traction compounds.

But I’ve also noticed more founders (especially first-time or solo ones) who just don’t have that network yet, even though they’re building solid products. For them, the challenge isn’t skipping relationships - it’s getting that very first foot in the door.

I think there’s space for both approaches: earn long-term trust and make the discovery + outreach part a bit less painful or random. Warm intros will always be gold - but not everyone starts with access to the mine.