Who Knows Who#

Who Knows Who is Nanabase's relationship discovery feature. It helps you find connection paths through your organization's collective network—answering questions like "Does anyone here know someone at Stripe?"

The Problem It Solves#

In most organizations, professional networks are invisible:

HIDDEN NETWORK:
├── Sarah in Engineering knows 3 people at Stripe
├── Mike in Sales knows their VP of Sales
├── Lisa in HR worked there for 4 years
└── Nobody knows these connections exist

RESULT: CEO cold-emails Stripe, struggles to get response

Who Knows Who makes these hidden connections visible, transforming cold outreach into warm introductions.

How It Works#

Searching for Connections#

1. Go to Network in the sidebar
2. Enter a company name (e.g., "Stripe")
3. See which colleagues have contacts there
4. View the specific connections

What You'll See#

Results show:

• Who in your company has connections
• Who they know at the target company
• How strong the connection is (if available)
• Path to the contact

"Who knows someone at Stripe?"

Results:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Sarah Chen (Engineering)                    │
│ Knows: John Smith, Director of Engineering  │
│ Connection: Former colleague (3 years)      │
│ [Request Intro]                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Mike Jones (Sales)                          │
│ Knows: Amanda Lee, VP of Sales              │
│ Connection: Met at SaaStr conference        │
│ [Request Intro]                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Using Who Knows Who#

Finding Paths to Companies#

Use case: You want to reach decision-makers at a target company

1. Search for the company name
2. See which colleagues have connections
3. Review the contacts and connection context
4. Request an introduction through your colleague

Finding Specific Expertise#

Use case: You need to find a specific type of contact

1. Search by role/expertise: "patent lawyer" or "machine learning expert"
2. See who in your network matches
3. See which colleague knows them
4. Connect through the right path

Exploring Your Network#

Use case: Understanding your collective reach

1. Browse network statistics
2. See which industries are well-covered
3. Identify network gaps
4. Discover unexpected connections

Request an Introduction#

When you find a connection path, you can request an introduction:

1. Click Request Intro next to the connection
2. Write a brief message explaining:
   • Why you want to connect
   • What you'd like to discuss
   • Any context that would help
3. Send the request

Your colleague receives a notification and can:

• Accept and make the introduction
• Ask for more context
• Decline (with optional explanation)

Learn more about Warm Introductions →

Connection Visibility#

What's Visible#

When someone shares a contact:

• The contact appears in searches
• Your colleague is shown as having the connection
• The contact's info is visible (as shared)

Privacy Controls#

Colleagues control:

• Which contacts they share
• What information is visible
• Whether to accept intro requests

Best Practices#

For Discovering Connections#

Be specific:

✓ "Stripe" → Clear target
✓ "FinTech startups Series B" → Specific criteria
✗ "Tech companies" → Too broad

Check multiple angles:

• Try company name variations
• Search for key individuals
• Look for industry/role matches

For Building Your Searchable Network#

Share relevant contacts:

• People at companies others might want to reach
• Industry experts
• Well-connected individuals

Add context:

• How you know them
• How strong the relationship is
• Best way to approach them

For Requesting Intros#

Write good requests:

Good: "I'd love an intro to John at Stripe. We're 
exploring their payment API for our product, and 
I'd like to understand their enterprise pricing. 
Happy to share more context!"

Bad: "Can you intro me to John?"

Respect the process:

• Don't pressure colleagues
• Accept "no" gracefully
• Follow up appropriately

Network Analytics#

Company View#

See aggregate statistics:

• Total unique companies in your network
• Companies with multiple connections
• Network growth over time

Connection Depth#

Understand connection quality:

• Strong connections (worked together, frequent contact)
• Medium connections (professional relationship)
• Weak connections (met once, LinkedIn only)

Coverage Gaps#

Identify missing connections:

• Target companies with no paths
• Industries underrepresented
• Roles/expertise gaps

Use Cases#

Sales & Business Development#

"Who knows someone at [target account]?"
→ Find warm paths to key prospects
→ Accelerate deal cycles
→ Improve response rates

Recruiting#

"Who knows engineers at [top companies]?"
→ Find referral paths to great candidates
→ Get insider perspectives on talent
→ Make warm recruiting outreach

Partnerships#

"Who knows someone at [potential partner]?"
→ Start partnership conversations warmly
→ Find the right contact person
→ Understand the organization better

Fundraising#

"Who knows investors focused on [our space]?"
→ Get warm investor introductions
→ Understand investor preferences
→ Navigate to decision-makers

Research & Advice#

"Who knows experts in [topic]?"
→ Find advisors and mentors
→ Get industry insights
→ Connect with thought leaders

Frequently Asked Questions#

Can I see connections my colleagues haven't shared? No. Only contacts that colleagues have shared to the company directory appear in Who Knows Who searches.

Will my colleague know I searched for their connections? Searches are not logged or visible to others. Only introduction requests notify colleagues.

What if no one in my company has a connection? Results will show no matches. Consider:

• Reaching out through LinkedIn
• Asking if anyone knows someone who knows someone
• Building your network in that area

Can I search for connections at multiple companies at once? Currently, search is one company at a time. We may add batch searching in the future.

How accurate is the connection information? As accurate as the contacts in your directory. Encourage colleagues to keep shared contacts updated.

Related#