An expert network is a firm that connects you with people who have first hand knowledge of a market, such as former executives, operators, customers and suppliers. It recruits experts to your question, screens them for conflicts and confidential information, and arranges a paid conversation, usually a one to one expert call, so you can make a better informed decision.
An expert network gives you access to people who have done the work
The expert network definition is simple. An expert network is a company that finds, screens and books people with direct experience of an industry, so that you can speak with them about a specific question. The experts are usually former employees of companies in that market, current practitioners such as buyers, distributors and physicians, or independent specialists.
What you get is first hand context that is not in published research. A former head of procurement can explain how buyers in a category choose a supplier. A distributor can describe what is moving through the channel this quarter. A plant manager can say whether a capacity plan is realistic.
Expert network companies, also called expert network firms, sit between you and those people. They handle the search, the screening, the scheduling and the paperwork, so your team spends its time on the conversation itself.
How expert networks work, from brief to transcript
Most expert networks follow the same sequence. The detail varies by firm, and the order below is how a Nextyn engagement runs.
- You share a brief. You describe the market, the company or the decision, and the kind of experience you want to hear from.
- The network recruits to your question. A research team identifies people whose experience matches the brief, contacts them and confirms what they know.
- Experts are screened before booking. Each expert is checked for conflicts of interest and for anything that would put material non public information into the conversation.
- You choose who to speak with. You receive short profiles that describe each expert's relevant experience and pick the ones you want.
- The call takes place. You run the conversation yourself, or a moderator runs it against your questions.
- You keep the record. You receive notes or a transcript. At Nextyn, every call lands in Nextyn IQ, where your team can search it later.
Who uses an expert network, and for which questions
Expert networks began as a research tool for investors and have spread to consulting firms and corporate teams. The question changes by seat, and so does the format.
| Who uses it | Typical question | Format they often choose |
|---|---|---|
| Private equity deal teams | Is the target's market growing the way the plan assumes? | Expert calls and expert panels during commercial due diligence |
| Hedge funds and public equity | What are distributors and customers seeing this quarter? | Channel checks through expert calls |
| Venture capital investors | Will buyers in an early market actually pay for this? | Calls with practitioners and short surveys |
| Consulting case teams | How big is this market, and how is it structured? | Expert calls, panels and surveys at volume |
| Corporate strategy teams | Should we enter this market, and how? | Calls with operators who have made the move |
Expert calls are the core format, with several others alongside
An expert call is a scheduled one to one conversation with a former executive, operator or specialist, typically an hour long. It is the format most people mean when they talk about expert networks.
Most networks also offer formats built around the same pool of experts. Moderated calls are run by an analyst on your behalf. Expert panels put one question to several practitioners in a single session. Opinion surveys put a number behind a decision. Advisory boards give leadership a standing group of external advisers. Many firms also sell libraries of past call transcripts, which we compare in our guide to expert call transcript libraries.
Screening and compliance protect you and the expert
A good expert network screens every expert before you speak with them. The aim is to make sure the conversation draws on the expert's experience and judgement, never on confidential information from a current or recent employer.
In practice that means checking each expert's employment history against your brief, asking the expert to confirm they will not share material non public information, and keeping a record of who was approached and what they were screened against. Investment firms usually add their own rules, such as cooling off periods after an expert leaves a company. Where your policy and the network's differ, the stricter one should apply. We set out what to look for in our guide to expert network compliance, and our own approach is on the compliance page.
What an expert network costs depends on the model
Expert networks usually charge in one of two ways: a price per call, often measured in hours, or a subscription or prepaid agreement that calls draw down against. The price of a call depends on the seniority of the expert, how hard the profile is to find and the format you choose. Our guide to expert network pricing explains the main models and what drives the cost.
How to choose an expert network for your question
The right expert network depends on your sector, your geography and how quickly you need to start. When you compare firms, four practical points matter most.
- Coverage: whether the network can reach the specific seats your question needs, in the countries you care about.
- Speed: how soon after a brief you see the first expert profiles.
- Screening: how experts are checked for conflicts and confidential information, and what record you receive.
- Format: whether the network runs the formats you need, such as moderated calls, panels or surveys, alongside one to one calls.
We cover the main firms in our overview of expert networks and, for deal teams, in expert networks for private equity.
Where Nextyn fits
Nextyn is an expert network and primary research firm, founded in Mumbai in 2018 and headquartered in Singapore. Our team works from New York, Singapore, Mumbai, Bangalore and Jakarta, and covers twelve industry groups. Clients include private equity firms, venture capital investors, hedge funds, investment banks, consulting firms and corporate strategy teams.
A research lead owns each brief from the first conversation to the transcript. Our coverage of India and Southeast Asia sits alongside a dedicated US team. You can see how teams have used Nextyn in our case studies, for example testing a short thesis on an industrial company and understanding merchant churn at a payments provider.