Simultaneous control of the kinetics and thermodynamics of two different types of covalent chemistry results in pathway selectivity in the formation of hydrogelating molecules from a complex reaction network. This can lead to a range of hydrogel materials with vastly different properties, starting from a set of simple starting compounds and reaction conditions. Chemical reactivity between a trialdehyde and the tuberculosis drug isoniazid can result in the formation of either one, two or three hydrazone connectivity products meaning kinetic gelation pathways can be addressed. Simultaneously, the thermodynamics control the formation of either a keto or an enol tautomer of the products, again resulting in vastly different materials. Overall, this shows that careful navigation of a reaction landscape using both kinetic and thermodynamic selectivity can be used to control material selection from a complex reaction network.