Cold Email (Founder-Led Sales)

Subject: [FirstName], quick question on [specific trigger]

Hi [FirstName],

[One specific observation about their company or role — something that proves you actually looked. 1-2 sentences max. Examples:
- "Saw you just launched [thing]; impressive turnaround given [context]."
- "Noticed your team posted [job role] last week."
- "Read your blog post on [topic] — the bit about [specific point] stuck with me."]

[One open question about their world. NOT about your product. Examples:
- "How are you handling [related problem] in the new flow?"
- "What's the bottleneck right now on [their stated goal]?"
- "Are you running into [common ICP pain] yet, or is that not a problem at your scale?"]

[Signature]
[Name]
[Title]
[Brief credibility — one phrase, no link]

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## What to A/B test
- Subject line length: 3 words vs 8 words
- Observation type: specific data point vs commentary on something they published
- Question type: open ("how are you handling…") vs specific ("what tool are you using for…")
- Send time: Tuesday 7am vs Thursday 3pm (their timezone)

## What to NEVER do in a first cold email
- Pitch your product. Not once. Not even one sentence.
- "Hope you're well" — wastes a sentence, signals AI.
- "I'd love to schedule a 15-minute call to learn more about your business" — boring, generic, low-reply.
- Lengthy paragraphs about your company. They didn't ask.

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## Variant 1 — Warm intro reply

When someone introduces you to a prospect, reply within 4 hours. Same two-sentence shape, but you reference the intro.

Subject: Thanks [Mutual] — quick context

Hi [FirstName],

Thanks to [Mutual] for the intro. [Mutual] mentioned you're working on [specific thing the mutual referenced]; I've been deep in that space for [N] months at [Company].

Would a 15-min call next week make sense, or is there a specific question I can answer over email first?

Best,
[Name]

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## Variant 2 — Post-event / conference follow-up

After meeting briefly at an event, follow up within 24 hours while the conversation is fresh. Reference what you actually talked about, not the event itself.

Subject: Following up — [the topic you discussed]

Hi [FirstName],

Good chatting at [event]. You mentioned [specific thing they said about their work]; I've been thinking about it since.

[One concrete follow-up: a relevant link, a person to introduce them to, or a single useful observation. NOT a pitch.]

Worth a 20-min call to dig into [their specific challenge]?

Best,
[Name]

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## Variant 3 — Second-touch follow-up (after no reply to a first cold email)

7-10 days after the first email goes unreplied, send a single short follow-up. Don't apologise; don't re-pitch. Add new value.

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Hi [FirstName],

Quick follow-up on the email below. Since I sent it, I've been thinking about [specific thing relevant to their world] — [one useful observation or link, 1-2 sentences max].

Worth a quick call, or want me to send a one-pager you can scan?

Best,
[Name]

**Don't send a third follow-up** unless you have genuinely new information. Three follow-ups without new value damages your sender reputation and the relationship.

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## Variant 4 — Founder-to-founder warm reach (no mutual contact)

When you're emailing another founder you genuinely admire (or compete with respectfully), the rules relax slightly — be specific, be brief, no pitch.

Subject: [Specific thing in their work] — a question

Hi [FirstName],

I'm [N] months into building [your product, one phrase]. Saw [specific thing they shipped / wrote / said]; the part about [exact detail] resonated.

How are you thinking about [related strategic question]? Happy to share what we've found from our side too.

[Name]
[Brief credibility, one phrase]