Private 1-on-1 coaching

Become the DeFi strategist your portfolio deserves.

Direct, personalized guidance from David Zimmerman at The Node. Three tiers — from foundational onboarding to institutional-grade weekly access. Education only, never financial advice.

150+ students coached
2,000+ coaching hours
Self-custody always
ICF-credentialed methodology

The reality

DeFi rewards the prepared. It punishes everyone else.

The gap between aping into protocols and building a durable DeFi strategy is enormous. Most learners stall in the same places: self-custody anxiety, no risk framework, no due-diligence process, and no one to sanity-check the high-conviction trades.

Generic courses and Discord signals don't close that gap. They give you information. What you need is judgment — and judgment comes from working 1-on-1 with someone who's seen the cycles.

The methodology

A structured path from where you are to where you want to be.

01 · Diagnose

We map your current portfolio, risk exposure, and knowledge gaps into a baseline.

02 · Strategize

We build a personalized DeFi strategy and risk-parameter profile tailored to your capital and goals.

03 · Execute

Self-custody setup, position sizing, and a repeatable due-diligence process for every protocol.

04 · Compound

Weekly or bi-weekly sessions refine your edge as markets evolve. You leave with judgment, not tips.

Powered by Runway

Know your runway before you size the trade.

Hermes is your trading wingman for Hyperliquid perps — live funding, liquidation distance, and a leverage-aware risk engine in every conversation.

Plan in conversation

Talk through your thesis with Hermes before you commit size — live trade ticket, leverage-aware risk engine, multi-timeframe technicals, macro catalysts, and your track record in every thread.

See your runway

Connect any wallet. Hyperliquid positions surface with funding, liquidation distance, and live R-multiples — plus Sharpe, max drawdown, 30d PnL, and win rate on one dashboard.

Scan ranked setups

The HL idea scanner scores markets on MTF confluence, favorable funding, and catalysts. Filter, pick a setup, and open it in Hermes to debate before you size.

A journal that learns

Every plan becomes a structured entry with semantic search. When the position closes, the outcome flows back in — and Hermes remembers what worked.

Watched while you sleep

Full Hermes on Telegram — /status, /ideas, /trade, and reply to debrief. Supervision alerts, morning digest, and ranked idea pushes while you step away.

Explore Runway

Runway is advisory software for educational use. Perpetual futures involve substantial risk. Runway never holds your funds — execution uses a Turnkey-held agent key you approve on Hyperliquid.

Packages

Three tiers. Pick the access level that matches your stage.

Every tier is private 1-on-1. The difference is depth, cadence, and how much direct founder access you get.

Foundations

Lowest-risk private 1-on-1 in DeFi.

$600
Duration
4 weeks
Sessions
2 × 45m
Cadence
Weekly
Target capital
$1K–$25K
  • 2 × 45-minute private 1-on-1 strategy sessions
  • Personalized DeFi strategy development
  • Portfolio review & risk-parameter profile
  • Self-custody setup walkthrough
  • Runway onboarding — connect wallet, Hermes setup, and risk dashboard walkthrough
  • Async Slack access for 4 weeks
Book discovery

Discovery call recommended first — Stripe checkout available when ready.

Most Popular

Mastery

Fixed-scope portfolio review and Runway onboarding.

$1,800

Or split into 3 payments

Duration
12 weeks
Sessions
6 × 60m
Cadence
Bi-weekly
Target capital
$25K–$100K
  • Everything in Foundations
  • 6 × bi-weekly 60-minute 1-on-1 analyst calls
  • Personalized portfolio blueprint
  • Weekly group strategy workshops
  • Curated research bulletins
  • Smart-contract audit checklist
  • Dedicated async Slack channel
  • Runway deep-dive — idea scanner, journal workflow, and Telegram wingman
Book discovery call

Discovery call recommended first — Stripe checkout available when ready.

Application Only

Institutional

Direct founder access. Same elite-tier cadence, one-third the price.

$7,200

Or split into 3 or 6 payments

Duration
26 weeks
Sessions
24 × 60m
Cadence
Weekly
Target capital
$100K+
  • Everything in Mastery
  • 24 × weekly 60-minute 1-on-1 sessions
  • Direct founder & lead-quant access
  • Custom protocol due-diligence on member-submitted tokens
  • Token-gated HNWI mastermind
  • Quarterly portfolio deep-dive
  • Priority Runway access — extended Pro/Autopilot perks and early Hermes capabilities
  • Optional in-person annual mastermind
Apply now

Discovery call recommended first — Stripe checkout available when ready.

All packages include a personalized kickoff, async support for the package duration, and Runway onboarding. Institutional clients receive priority Runway access. Educational only — not financial advice.

The Institutional advantage

Same elite-tier cadence. One-third the price.

We benchmarked the high-ticket competitors so you don't have to. Here's how Institutional stacks up.

FeatureThe Node InstitutionalDM EliteYieldschool Pro
Price$7,200$21,000$18,000
Sessions / cadence24 sessions / 6 months24 sessions / 6 months20 sessions / 6 months
Founder accessDirectLimitedNo
HNWI mastermindYesAdd-onGroup only
Due-diligenceCustomTemplateSelf-serve

What you get

Everything you need to operate like an institution.

Personalized risk-parameter profile

A documented framework for position sizing, allocation, and exit thresholds tied to your capital and time horizon.

Portfolio blueprint

Stress-test trade ideas with Hermes's leverage-aware risk engine — funding regimes, liquidation distance, and position sizing before you deploy capital.

Smart-contract audit checklist

A repeatable process for vetting any protocol before you deploy — the same checklist we use internally.

Dedicated async channel

Slack access between sessions for time-sensitive questions. No more guessing in isolation.

Onboarding & session support

After mutual fit, you get an onboarding email with next steps, session booking guidance, and shared notes from your coach.

Priority Runway access

Institutional clients get extended Pro/Autopilot perks, early Hermes capabilities, and research bulletins.

Client outcomes

What changes when you have a coach in your corner.

Real stories from clients who built judgment through private 1-on-1 coaching — not tips or signals.

Security-first

From 3 seed phrases on a notepad to a hardware-wallet-first setup.

Avoided 1 phishing attempt in week 2

"The security review alone paid for the coaching package — twice over. David spotted an approval I had no idea was still live on a contract that got exploited three weeks later."
M., Mastery package, 8 weeks
Yield operator

From DIY LP losses to a working concentrated liquidity playbook.

Turned underperforming $80k into a systematic LP stack

"I had been LPing in Uniswap V3 and losing to IL for a year. Two calls and a dashboard template later I had an actual framework for range selection and rebalancing."
A., Mastery package, 8 weeks
Builder

Full-time trader → full-time builder with a validated niche.

Launched a subscription product with paying users

"The coaching wasn’t just trading. David helped me scope my first product, pick a monetization model, and stop second-guessing. Three months later it’s live."
J., Mastery package, 12 weeks

Testimonials reflect individual educational experiences. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Your coach

David Zimmerman

Founder of The Node. David has spent the last cycle coaching serious DeFi operators from first self-custody setup to institutional-grade protocol due-diligence. His methodology is built around risk-first thinking and repeatable process — not tips, signals, or predictions.

Every Institutional client works directly with David. There is no hand-off to a junior coach.

90-second intro

A message from David.

Who I coach, how I coach, and why the free discovery call exists in the first place.

Video coming soon — book your call and meet David directly.

How it works

From discovery call to first session in under a week.

  1. 01

    Book a discovery call

    Free 30-minute conversation. We assess fit, review your goals, and recommend a tier.

  2. 02

    Choose your package

    Pick Foundations, Mastery, or Institutional based on capital and cadence. Payment details are confirmed after mutual fit.

  3. 03

    Get your onboarding email

    We send next steps, prep materials, and how to book your kickoff session.

  4. 04

    Begin coaching

    Weekly, bi-weekly, or short-scope sessions depending on your tier, plus async support throughout.

90-second qualifier

Book your free discovery call

Answer the qualifier so David walks into the call with context. Zero obligation, zero cost for the diagnostic.

90-second qualifier

Book your free discovery call

Answer the qualifier so David walks into the call with context — including your bottleneck narrative and retainer acknowledgement. Zero obligation, zero cost for the diagnostic.

Where are you with DeFi today?
Portfolio size (ballpark)
What do you want from coaching?

At least 40 characters (0/40)

30 minutes. No pitch deck. Just a conversation.

FAQ

Common questions

Is this financial advice?
No. All The Node coaching is educational. We do not provide financial advice, investment recommendations, or portfolio management. You remain in full custody and control of your assets at all times.
Do you custody my funds?
Never. You retain full self-custody throughout the engagement. We guide setup of your own wallets and teach you to manage your own risk.
What happens after I book a discovery call?
You’ll get a confirmation and prep notes. On the call we assess fit, review your goals, and recommend a tier. If you move forward, we send an onboarding email with next steps — no invoice until mutual fit.
Can I get a refund?
Foundations and Mastery offer a 14-day refund window if no sessions have been conducted. The Institutional tier is non-refundable due to its application-only, founder-access nature.
What if I need to reschedule?
Sessions can be rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice. Sessions cancelled with less notice may be forfeited.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes. Mastery offers 3 monthly payments. Institutional offers 3 or 6 monthly payments. Toggle the plan in the pricing section above — checkout details are confirmed after your discovery call.

Risk disclosure

The Node provides educational services only. We do not provide financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Digital assets are volatile and you may lose your entire investment. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You are solely responsible for your own investment decisions. All coaching is delivered on a self-custody basis — we never hold or control your funds.

The next cycle won't wait.

Book a free discovery call and find out which tier fits. No pressure, no obligation — just a clear-eyed conversation about where you are and where you want to go.