Day 19 of learning BD and today was all about Tools of the Trade.
This was a wake up call.
Most people think BD is just charisma and good conversations. It's not. Behind every consistent BD professional is a stack of tools that keeps their pipeline organized, their outreach sharp, and their follow-ups on time. Without the right tools, you're just talented and disorganized.
The core stack you need a CRM to track every lead and where they are in your pipeline, an email tool for outreach and follow-up sequences, a research platform for prospecting and finding the right contacts, and a notes system so nothing falls through the cracks. Simple. But most people don't have even half of this.
In Web3 the tools look a little different but the principle is the same. My current stack, Notion for tracking pitches and follow-ups, X for prospecting and warm outreach, DefiLlama and
Pump.fun for finding early-stage projects, and Google Docs for pitch writing and onepagers. Low cost but high output.
Here's the thing, your tools don't need to be expensive. They need to be consistent. A simple Notion board you actually use beats a $200 CRM you open twice a month.
I'm realizing that systems beat motivation every single time. Build the stack. Trust the process.
Day 18 of learning BD and today's lesson was on Maintaining the Relationship and this one is personal.
Most people treat the deal closing as the finish line. It's not. It's the starting line. The real BD work begins after the contract is signed, after the handshake, after the "we're good to go." How you show up AFTER the deal is your actual reputation.
In Web3 this hits different because the space is small. Uncomfortably small. The founder you ghosted after a bad collab?
He's co-founding something new next quarter. The community manager you ignored after the deal ended?
She just joined a project with a $2M marketing budget. Protect every relationship like it's your last one.
I've gotten more referrals from past collabs than from any cold outreach I've ever done. Not because I asked for referrals but because I delivered, stayed in touch, and treated every partnership like it mattered beyond the invoice.
The formula is simple, deliver well, check in genuinely, add value after the deal ends, and let the relationship breathe. Don't disappear. Don't only show up when you need something.
18 days in and BD keeps reminding me that the best pipeline is the one you already have.