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The 10-Second Email That Landed a Billion-Dollar Deal
Most founders underestimate cold outreach. Here’s why that’s a costly mistake.
“Hey. Listen.” The founder leaned in, lowering his voice as if he was about to offer me something illegal. Cocaine? Black market secrets? Something worse?
I played along, whispering back. “What is it?”
He smirked. “I’ve been listening to your podcast. Fantastic stuff. You know so many investors. That’s incredible.”
A well-placed compliment. I could already sense what was coming next.
“Thanks,” I said, smiling. And then — right on cue — he dropped DA ASK:
“Can you introduce us to some investors?”
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had this conversation.
Somewhere along the way, founders convinced themselves that a warm intro is a golden ticket — a shortcut to investment, a backdoor into exclusivity. But here’s the brutal truth: warm intros only work when they’re truly warm.
They work when the person making the intro:
- Knows both parties deeply.
- Believes the connection will solve a problem for both sides.
- Has the social capital to make it count.
