Building a strong network is a skill. Annie Riley sits down with Whitnie Narcisse, former First Round Capital Partner, to unpack how she has built one of the best networks in Silicon Valley. Whitnie breaks down how to be memorable and build connections that last using her FACE framework (Factual, Authentic, Credible, and Engaging). Plus: why most networking advice falls flat, how to design rooms people want to be in, and the biggest networking mistake most people make.
Time Stamps:
00:00 – Whitnie's 3 biggest career inflection points
05:50 - How Whitnie got to First Round
06:50 – Agency in networking
09:30 – What actually gets a response
11:30 – Async networking and respecting people’s time
13:30 – Why most networking formats don’t work
15:30 – Building a high-value community and ecosystem
18:30 – The secret to great events
21:00 – How to create meaningful connections
23:30 – The FACE framework: how to be memorable
29:00 – The follow-up gap: why networking really starts after the handshake
31:00 – Generosity, authenticity, and playing the long game
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