Is your network enough? – Quantum

In the early stages of a quantum start-up, your network is everything. You hire who you know, former colleagues, fellow researchers, and trusted collaborators from your university lab. It’s quick, reliable, and built on shared trust. For deep-tech ventures, that familiarity is invaluable.

But as the company grows, relying solely on that circle starts to create challenges that weren’t obvious at the beginning.

When everyone’s cut from the same cloth

Founding teams in quantum often come from the same academic or institutional background. That’s no surprise, as the field is still relatively small and many innovators have come through similar research groups.

However, this can lead to what we call “intellectual homogeneity.” Everyone thinks similarly, solves problems the same way, and has similar gaps. It’s great for technical alignment, but risky for commercialisation.

When you start needing people who can manage operations, build partnerships, or lead customer engagement, you quickly realise that technical excellence isn’t enough, and you need new perspectives.

Bringing in people from semiconductors, photonics, cryogenics, or even non-technical sectors like advanced manufacturing or defence can introduce processes, rigour, and commercial thinking that research-heavy teams often lack.

A network that can’t keep up with scale

Even the most connected founders hit a wall when hiring beyond their immediate circle. Quantum is still an emerging industry, and the available talent pool is small. When your company starts to scale, you can’t hire fast enough through referrals alone.

That’s especially true for roles outside the lab, such as programme management, business development, systems engineering, and marketing. These positions are essential for turning prototypes into products, but they rarely exist within a founder’s original research network.

By the numbers

• “Quantum” titled job ads jumped approximately 180% between 2020 and mid‑2024.
• In April 2025, the one-year growth in global quantum job postings was approximately 4.4%, showing the supply struggle behind the headline hype.
• Despite increasing demand, the quantum job market remains nascent and heavily centred on high-end technical roles, engineers and PhDs, signalling opportunity for non-technical hires.

This data reinforces the challenge. Founders can hire within their network because the field is small, but the slow growth of postings and concentration in technical roles show that non-technical talent, in business development, project management, and commercialisation, is an under-served area.

Why hiring beyond your network matters

Broadening your reach isn’t just about finding more people, it’s about finding different people. Diversity of background, skill set, and mindset directly impacts how effectively your business can scale.

A well-rounded team that combines quantum scientists, experienced project leads, and commercially focused professionals will navigate investment cycles more smoothly, build stronger customer relationships, and ultimately accelerate time to market.

The most successful scale-ups in the quantum sector already recognise this, as they treat recruitment as a strategic function, not an administrative one.

Building beyond the familiar

Your network built your foundation, but it can’t build the future alone. Quantum is moving from discovery to delivery, and that transition demands a different type of team.

At IntaPeople, we help quantum companies expand beyond their immediate networks, connecting them with engineers, managers, and commercial professionals who bring the skills and perspectives needed to grow sustainably.

Because in quantum, innovation doesn’t just come from what you know, it comes from who you bring in next.