A Three Week long course on Building Business Relationships and your Reputation over a Career with Chris Fralic, Board Partner at First Round 

Do you want to build relationships that go beyond the current transaction or your current job?  Are you earlier in your career and want to learn the strategy and tactics that will serve you for your entire career?  Are you selling and developing business - even if that’s not your official job title?  Learn with a cohort of fellow students and Chris Fralic, Board Partner with First Round who has over 35 years of experience in technology companies both from the inside and as an investor, and he’s passionate about sharing the best practices he’s learned along the way.

We’ll go in-depth on the following concepts

The Big Picture - Beginning with the end in mind and the long view of your career

Brand and Reputation - Your brand is built - or not - with every interaction 

Email - How to be great at email, featuring the Art of the Email Introduction

Saying and Hearing “No” - Tools and strategies that can still add value and keep doors open

Managing One’s Self and How To Work A Conference (or a Zoom) - Frameworks for contacts, getting things done, and meetings and events

Outreach and Gratitude - Bringing it all together, and the power of a daily extra outreach

You’re early in your career and looking to build your brand and relationships over the long term

You may not have sales or business development in your title but it's part of what you do

For anyone in business, and certainly if you’re a founder or work in a startup or venture capital

I spent the first 20 years of my career working in technology companies, from big tech companies to small startups like Half.com and del.icio.us, mostly in sales and business development roles. I spent the last 15 years at First Round working with startups like Roblox, Flurry, Ring, Invite Media, Warby Parker, Hotel Tonight, Double Verify, Rec Room and 70 others from their earliest days. As a VC I've been on the receiving end of many thousands of emails, made or received many thousands of introductions, and seen how relationships and personal reputations are built - or not. The purpose of the course is to explore and share what I've learned, especially with those who are earlier in their careers, and I'd love to see some founders and investors in the group.

In this course, you will understand the big picture of how your brand and reputation are built, and have the skills to engage every email and interaction with purpose and confidence. 

The classes will be taught live by me, with Q&A in every session

There will be exercises you’ll do with a cohort of peers

Don’t sign up if you’re not able to fully engage in the course and with your peers

There might be some special guest speakers during the course 

Chris is a trusted advisor that I’m grateful to have known for almost 15 years. His unique insights aligned closely with our vision for Roblox at a time when most investors saw the Metaverse as science fiction. Chris is a true 'connector' whose extensive network has been extremely valuable to Roblox throughout our time working together.

I first met Chris in 1996 at a conference — and I remember being super impressed with him and the strength of his network. Chris seemed to know everyone. When I set out to build Half.com, I knew there would be a ton of business development needed — and Chris was my first call. I can say with certainty that I am indeed lucky to have spent nearly my entire career working alongside Chris.

Every year Chris gets incredible feedback from my students for taking them out of their textbooks and case studies and clearly explaining the real mechanics of human interaction and how the business world works. I’ve heard many times that it’s been the most useful lecture of their college careers.

Chris has enthusiastically shared the insights from his many years of experience as a leading venture capitalist with our Wharton marketing MBA and undergraduate students. Chris’ presentations to these classes have proven to be highly engaging and valuable to the students and have resulted in him being one of the highest rated class speakers.

Classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:00PM to 7:30PM EASTERN TIME (Tuesday and Wednesday during the final week of Memorial Day).  Exact dates are May 17, 19, 24, 26 and June 1 and 2 from 6:00PM to 7:30PM EASTERN TIME.  

What are the dates and times of the classes?

Glad you asked - 100% of the tuition from this course will be donated to charity:water who helps provide clean water to millions around the world.

The tuition is NOT a charitable tax deduction - however you can always donate something additional to charitywater.org

Join the waitlist to be notified of upcoming cohorts

Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room - it’s their reaction when they see your name pop up on their phone or in their inbox.  Your brand and your relationships are built - or not - with every interaction.  Learn how to build yours with intention, looking beyond individual interactions or immediate outcomes.  We’ll start with the big picture and the long term goals but also dive deep into specifics and actionable tactics like sending emails with impact that invite a response.  

Building Relationships, Brand, and Reputation (from an email introduction through the rest of your career)