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Mastering Networking & Relationship-Building in Tech

Cohort-based Course

For talented operators, your network is your next most powerful asset. Build and maintain an authentic network to support your career goals.

Previously at

First Round
First Round
Bloom Energy
SPMB Executive Search

Course overview

Strategically approach networking to support your career goals

This course will teach you how to create and maintain meaningful relationships within the tech ecosystem.


Networking can be an uncomfortable topic. People don’t want transactional or calculated relationships. Putting yourself out there is hard and even when you meet interesting people, it’s difficult to stay connected. 


A good network isn’t a list of people you can call on for favors – it’s a cultivated community of authentic, mutual relationships. 


If you're a competent operator, a network is the biggest multiplier to accelerate your career growth, access more opportunities, and get your foot into doors you didn't know existed. And networking doesn’t have to be awkward or fake – the best version is connecting with a group of supportive people you find genuinely interesting. 


In this course, we’ll create a foundation for you to build a stronger network. We’ll cover the principles of building authentic relationships and work through actual templates + tools you can use for outreach and network management. We’ll also hold each other accountable to start taking action. 


You’ll learn:

- How to write personalized outreaches that get a response

- How to craft an elevator pitch and deliver it with confidence

- How to create a system for maintaining relationships and following up at key intervals

- How to create an action-plan so you don’t procrastinate or put off networking efforts

- How to map your existing network to identify your key contacts and leverage points

- How to examine and improve your non-verbal communication

- How to develop your use of social media to build a strong personal narrative


This will be a live, cohort-based course, which means you’ll also get:

- Access to personalized feedback from me

- A network of similarly motivated, high-performing individuals to hold you accountable

- Opportunities to practice and implement what you’re learning immediately as you build your personal system during the course

Who is this course for

01

People in tech with 5-15 years of experience who might be ready for something new.

02

People who want effective networking strategies for the post-COVID blend of offline + online interactions.

03

People who know they should network, but who need an extra push to get out there.

What you’ll get out of this course

A personalized system for initiating and maintaining meaningful connections

Resources (and a tech stack, if you so choose!) to manage your network, a plan for reaching out consistently and staying top of mind for those on the outskirts, and templates for your outreach.

Templates, tactics, and feedback to apply immediately

We'll share data-backed evidence on what makes the best outreach, go through real case studies together, and review your outreach emails with feedback. We'll also practice your elevator pitches to make sure they're tight, concise, and memorable.

A network of similarly motivated operators to get you started

Our plan is to keep this course small for lots of personalized interaction, but it'll be large enough for you to meet new people. You'll build a trusted circle, and practice new skills in real-time with a private community.

This course includes

2 interactive live sessions

Lifetime access to course materials

6 in-depth lessons

Direct access to instructor

Projects to apply learnings

Guided feedback & reflection

Private community of peers

Course certificate upon completion

Maven Satisfaction Guarantee

This course is backed by Maven’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.

Course syllabus

Bonus

    Nov

    7

    Day 1: Live Workshop and Q&A Session

    Thu 11/75:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

    Nov

    8

    Day 2: Live Workshop and Q&A Session

    Fri 11/85:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

    Crafting Your Networking Toolkit

    3 items

    Activating Your Professional Connections

    3 items

Meet your instructor

Whitnie Narcisse

Whitnie Narcisse

As a natural-born connector and self-proclaimed extrovert, Whitnie has 20 years of experience in networking and informal professional development. She’s dedicated her career to forging meaningful relationships and building thriving communities.


For the past 10 years at First Round, she has coached executives and emerging leaders, providing trusted counsel to founders as they work through their toughest challenges. She’s also developed specialized programs to create connections between early-stage builders, such as First Round’s mentorship program, which has facilitated over 3,000 mentorship pairs. With experience in talent acquisition at Bloom Energy and SPMB, as well as a stint teaching 8th-grade science with Teach for America, Whitnie brings a unique perspective to professional development.


Drawing on years of experience leading engaging forums and retreats focused on deep, peer-to-peer problem-solving, she is a dynamic facilitator who will not let her Maven students fall asleep or leave without tactical insights.

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Course schedule

6 hours

  • Thursday, November 7

    12:00pm - 3:00pm PST

    Understanding Your Networking Goals

    Building Your Personal Brand

    Communication Skills for Networking


  • Friday, November 8

    12:00pm - 3:00pm PST

    Identifying and Reaching Out to Key Contacts

    Creating and Managing Your Network Database

    Developing a Networking Action Plan

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

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Mastering Networking & Relationship-Building in Tech