While the Great Resignation was spurred on by the pandemic, the real reason employees are leaving jobs has little to do with COVID-19. For employers that are now backfilling empty roles, that’s an important distinction to make — because it means an entirely different approach to recruiting is needed.

The war for talent has never felt fiercer. If you’re a startup in the tech space, that battle can feel especially rough — after all, you’re facing up against titans like Google, Meta, and Apple when it comes to attracting potential employees. If you’re using traditional hiring methods, it can feel like your cold emails are going unread and your job postings unnoticed.

One of the most frequent questions first-time founders ask as they start to grow their business is: “How many…?” How many employees should you hire before your Series A? How many engineers are generally hired in the seed stage? How many people should you be hiring per quarter?

If you’re a Google, Meta, or Apple, you can generally attract top candidates based solely on your reputation. However, if you’re an early-stage startup — one that may not even have an established product yet — you don’t have that same luxury. Fortunately, people have been using storytelling to create meaning and inspire others for years. Knowing how to sell your startup’s story effectively can help rally people around your mission and vision long before you have a product, capital, or product-market fit.

Bringing the right people on board is one of the most crucial parts of building any successful business, and few people understand that better than Monarch Money Founder Ozzie Osman.

Matt Maasdam, Ex Navy SEALs Instructor and Co-Founder at PECOS Outdoor, didn’t take the most traditional path to entrepreneurship. In fact, his career journey matches few others. Maasdam started his career with the Navy SEALs, where he spent 20 years working in candidate selection and training. He later carried the nuclear codes for President Obama during his two years as the White House’s Military Aide. Since then, Maasdam has run strategy programs at Under Armour and worked as the COO of startup Revtown. Today, he’s the co-founder of PECOS Outdoors, an e-commerce company that produces outdoor gear.

The new GTM playbook is about building relationships and leveraging influence to drive deals forward. It’s no longer enough to rely on cold outreach and a flood of emails. The winners in today’s market will be the ones who tap into sales data 2.0 and capitalize on their network’s power.

The webinar emphasized the critical role of network operations in venture capital, highlighting how VCs have always relied on their networks for sourcing investment opportunities. The ability to map and leverage relationships is now recognized as essential across various aspects of a VC fund’s performance, including fundraising, deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio support.

Here's a practical playbook with ten insights for startup leaders focusing on building and leveraging their networks!

Experts explain the tactical, network-based approaches companies should take to succeed in 2023 — and why they matter: Richard Cho (Advisor & Former Chief Recruiting Officer at Gem), Nolan Church (CEO at Continuum), David Connors (Co-Founder & CEO at The Swarm). Panel event moderated by Opal Franklin (Events Lead at The Swarm).

The San Francisco-based company announced today that it raised $8 million in funding to expand its relationship mapping technology. The latest round includes participation from HubSpot Ventures, Motivate Ventures, and TRAC VC, signaling growing demand for network mapping tech that enables connections and warm introductions.

Launching on Product Hunt isn’t just about showing up, it’s about showing up ready. Here's the play-by-play on what actually worked for. Just actionable insights, templates, and timing tips to maximize your reach, visibility, and support—so your Product Hunt launch actually delivers.

The Swarm’s integration with Clay makes this easier than ever, allowing you to find warm intro paths into the companies and people you need to reach. Instead of relying solely on cold emails, you can leverage your extended network for high-quality connections that increase engagement and conversion rates.

We're thrilled to announce that The Swarm has received an investment from 500 Global, a venture capital fund with $2.7B assets under management and 49 unicorns spread across more than 20 countries. This funding will help us scale our capabilities and build the future of network recruiting and propel our vision for Network Relationship Management (NRM).