Instructions
Knowing who you want to reach and actually reaching them are two different things. This step is about the latter. An outreach campaign sounds impressive. In practice, at this stage, it usually means: a list of specific people, a direct and honest message, and the discipline to follow through.
The biggest failure mode is sending a pitch. Early outreach should not feel like marketing — it should feel like a direct, honest introduction from a real person who has built something and would value the recipient's time. People can smell a template at a hundred metres. The ones that work are short, specific about why this particular person, and ask for something small.
Volume also matters. Many founders reach out to five or ten people, get a mixed response, and conclude the tactic d...
