The World's First Ranking of VCs by Network Strength
VC rankings always focus on money - who returned the most, who invested the most, who has the most. But founders care about something else entirely, something supremely simple: can you help them build a billion dollar business? Introducing the Whisper List, the world's first ranking of VCs by the strength of their network. Discover which investors are connected where it counts - so you can see who can actually help you win.
When investors say “We’ll introduce you to our whole network,” we founders all nod politely - but we have no idea if that’s true. (Do they even have a strong network? Is it relevant to you?)
In the process of building our core Draftboard product (a warm intro mapping agent) we were continually reminded of how much network strength varies by individual - some people are just bursting with connections, while others are…not.
So we decided to run a test.
Using Draftboard’s network graphing engine, we scored and ranked hundreds of the world’s top VCs to see if they truly are connected to decision makers across metros and functions - like Heads of Finance in NYC or Heads of Product in SF.
And the data was fascinating - so we’ve decided to share it with the world.
That’s how the Whisper List was born: it’s the world’s first ranking of VCs by network strength - not by returns or deal count, but by how directly they’re connected to the real decision-makers - i.e. the people who buy things.
A few things you can do: 🥇 Search any VC - check out their network strength and ranks. 🏙️ Browse metro × function lists - see who tops “NYC × Marketing,” “SF × Engineering,” etc. 📊 View detailed profiles - breakdowns by function, seniority, etc. 🎯 Claim your spot - if you’re a VC, you can verify your profile and see how you compare to your peers.
We built this because real access - not pitch decks or vibes - drives outcomes. And because we believe the future of fundraising (and even more importantly: sales) will be powered by human relationships, not AI-generated cold emails by the millions.
If you’re a founder: check out which VCs actually know your buyers. If you’re an investor: claim your profile, show your strengths, and maybe discover some new ones!
Would love your feedback -
Zach & the Draftboard team
About Whisper List on Product Hunt
“The World's First Ranking of VCs by Network Strength”
Whisper List launched on Product Hunt on November 4th, 2025 and earned 185 upvotes and 36 comments, placing #9 on the daily leaderboard. VC rankings always focus on money - who returned the most, who invested the most, who has the most. But founders care about something else entirely, something supremely simple: can you help them build a billion dollar business? Introducing the Whisper List, the world's first ranking of VCs by the strength of their network. Discover which investors are connected where it counts - so you can see who can actually help you win.
On the analytics side, Whisper List competes within Sales, Venture Capital and Fundraising — topics that collectively have 72.5k followers on Product Hunt. The dashboard above tracks how Whisper List performed against the three products that launched closest to it on the same day.
Who hunted Whisper List?
Whisper List was hunted by Ben Lang. A “hunter” on Product Hunt is the community member who submits a product to the platform — uploading the images, the link, and tagging the makers behind it. Hunters typically write the first comment explaining why a product is worth attention, and their followers are notified the moment they post. Around 79% of featured launches on Product Hunt are self-hunted by their makers, but a well-known hunter still acts as a signal of quality to the rest of the community. See the full all-time top hunters leaderboard to discover who is shaping the Product Hunt ecosystem.
Ben Lang
Hey Product Hunt! 👋
When investors say “We’ll introduce you to our whole network,” we founders all nod politely - but we have no idea if that’s true. (Do they even have a strong network? Is it relevant to you?)
In the process of building our core Draftboard product (a warm intro mapping agent) we were continually reminded of how much network strength varies by individual - some people are just bursting with connections, while others are…not.
So we decided to run a test.
Using Draftboard’s network graphing engine, we scored and ranked hundreds of the world’s top VCs to see if they truly are connected to decision makers across metros and functions - like Heads of Finance in NYC or Heads of Product in SF.
And the data was fascinating - so we’ve decided to share it with the world.
That’s how the Whisper List was born: it’s the world’s first ranking of VCs by network strength - not by returns or deal count, but by how directly they’re connected to the real decision-makers - i.e. the people who buy things.
A few things you can do:
🥇 Search any VC - check out their network strength and ranks.
🏙️ Browse metro × function lists - see who tops “NYC × Marketing,” “SF × Engineering,” etc.
📊 View detailed profiles - breakdowns by function, seniority, etc.
🎯 Claim your spot - if you’re a VC, you can verify your profile and see how you compare to your peers.
We built this because real access - not pitch decks or vibes - drives outcomes. And because we believe the future of fundraising (and even more importantly: sales) will be powered by human relationships, not AI-generated cold emails by the millions.
If you’re a founder: check out which VCs actually know your buyers. If you’re an investor: claim your profile, show your strengths, and maybe discover some new ones!
Would love your feedback -
Zach & the Draftboard team