Expert calls for founders and small teams
Get an hour with someone who has already done what you're about to do, like run payments risk at a fintech or open a new market, without an expert-network contract.
Founders can get expert calls without an expert network by inviting the specific operators they want to learn from. On Instant Expert you search by past role or paste LinkedIn URLs, set an offer for the call, and pay only when the expert books. There's no contract, project fee or subscription, and people don't need to have joined anything.
How people usually do it
Founders ask investors for intros, try an expert network, browse a marketplace like Clarity.fm or Intro.co, or message former employees on LinkedIn.
Where it breaks
- Investor intros are limited, slow, and spend goodwill you may need later.
- Expert networks are built and priced for funds and consultancies, often with project fees or annual contracts.
- Marketplaces only list people who signed up to sell advice. The former head of risk at a specific company usually hasn't.
- A cold LinkedIn message to an operator asks for free advice, and the people worth asking get those every week.
How it works with Instant Expert
- 1
Search by what they did, not just their title today.
Describe the experience you need, such as "former heads of payments risk at US fintechs", or paste LinkedIn URLs of people you've already found. Past roles count.
- 2
Put your actual questions in the note.
List the two or three things you need to decide. Experts accept more readily when they can see they'll be useful, and it keeps the call on track.
- 3
Use the suggested price or set your own.
Each person shows a suggested price for a call or written answer. If someone has set their own rate, the suggested price already covers it plus our 20% fee. You can go as low as $5.
- 4
Take the call, or ask for a written answer.
Calls are 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes on a video link we provide. If you have one sharp question, a written or voice answer is often an easier yes for a busy expert.
What it costs
Worked example
You invite 3 former payments-risk leads to a 45-minute call at $250 each, and cap spend at $500 because 2 calls is enough.
- Each expert who books receives
- $200
- Instant Expert's fee (20%), per call
- $50
- If the first two book, you pay
- $500
- If one books, you pay
- $250
- If nobody books, you pay
- $0
There's no project fee or subscription. If one of them has set their own rate of $200, the suggested price you see is $250, so they still receive $200.
When this isn't the right tool
Use something else when:
- You're doing investment research that needs compliance screening and call records. Use an expert network your compliance team approves.
- You want someone else to find and vet experts against a brief. Expert networks and Inex One do that sourcing for you; here you choose the people.
- You need ongoing help rather than one conversation. A paid advisor or consultant with a defined scope fits better.
- The only person who can answer is bound by confidentiality on exactly that topic. No fee changes what they're allowed to say.
Questions
How much does an expert call cost without an expert network?
On Instant Expert you set the price per person (minimum $5), and it includes our 20% fee. There's no project fee or subscription, and you pay only if the expert books. For comparison, Inex One publishes a $500 project fee plus calls at typically $1,050 an hour.
Can I talk to former employees of a company I'm studying?
Yes. Search by past company and role. They can share their experience and how the market works, but they shouldn't share confidential information, and your note shouldn't ask them to.
Do I need a contract or a minimum spend?
No. There's no contract, subscription or minimum spend. Each invitation has its own offer, you set a cap on the total, and invitations nobody accepts within 7 days cost nothing.
Related
- Instant Expert vs expert networks (GLG, AlphaSights, Guidepoint)Managed expert sourcing for investment and consulting firms versus self-serve invitations to people you choose.
- Instant Expert vs Clarity.fmPer-minute advice from listed experts versus a fixed offer to a specific person you pick.
- Instant Expert vs Intro.coBooking a listed expert at their posted price versus inviting someone who isn't listed anywhere.
- How to ask an expert online: forums, paid calls and expert networksCompare four ways to get an expert's answer online, from free forums to paid calls and expert networks, and learn which fits your question.
- What is an expert network? How it works, costs and alternativesAn expert network finds industry experts and books paid calls with them. See how the process works, what published prices show, and when a simpler option fits.
- How to prepare for an expert interviewBuild a short expert interview brief that separates public facts, open questions, firsthand experience, and the decision you need to make afterward.
- How Instant Expert works and what it costsThe full pricing rules, refunds and who you can reach.
- Expert directoryBrowse examples of the people you can reach, by specialty.
Find the first five people to talk to.
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