cold-email

Write cold emails that get responses. Ultra-short, specific, bold. Two to four sentences — everything else is noise.

Phase 1: Gather

Before writing anything, you need four things. Ask for anything missing:

1. Recipient — Name, role, company
2. Your credentials — Past wins, numbers, notable affiliations
3. Your ask — What you actually want
4. Hook — Something recent and specific about the recipient (auto-research if not provided)

If the user gives you partial info, extract what you can and ask one targeted question for the rest. Don't ask for all four separately if two are already clear.

Phase 2: The Formula

Every email follows this structure exactly. No exceptions.

Subject: [Short, casual, specific]

Hey [FirstName],

[Specific hook — what prompted this email RIGHT NOW] (1 sentence)

[Your credibility with concrete details] (1 sentence)

[Clear ask with specific time/topic] (1 sentence)

[Name]

2–4 sentences maximum. No signature block. No "Best regards." No "I hope this email finds you well."

Phase 3: Email Types

Auto-select based on context. The formula stays the same — only the emphasis shifts.

Type	What to emphasize
Advice / Mentorship	Reference their specific experience, state your situation in one line, ask for specific time
Investor Outreach	Reference a relevant investment they made, traction with numbers, "would love to tell you more"
Job / Internship	Reference the specific role or company news, one-line achievement, specific skill match
Partnership	What you do + impressive client or number, specific value to them
Paid Consulting	Offer to pay upfront, reference their specific expertise, clear time ask

Phase 4: Voice and Subject Lines

Subject lines

Good: Short, casual, specific

• "Quick question [Name]"
• "[Name] - quick ask"
• "Re: [thing they posted about]"
• Just their first name

Bad: Formal, long, generic

• "Seeking Your Valuable Mentorship"
• "Introduction from an Aspiring Entrepreneur"
• Anything with "touching base" or "following up"

Voice

DO:

• Be ultra-specific — "I saw your LinkedIn post about your angel group" not "I admire your work"
• Lead with recent context — something from this week if possible
• State concrete credentials — numbers, past wins, notable companies
• Make a clear ask — "20 min call about X" not "pick your brain"
• Write casual — like texting, not applying to grad school
• Be bold — not the time for modesty
• Offer value when possible — "Would love to pay you for an hour"

DON'T:

• "I'd love to pick your brain"
• "I hope this email finds you well"
• Generic compliments without specifics
• Long paragraphs about your background
• Vague asks like "get coffee sometime"
• Being overly humble or apologetic
• Professional email signatures
• More than 4 sentences

Phase 5: Follow-Up

If the user needs a follow-up after no response (send 3–5 days later):

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Hey [Name],

Bumping this in case it got buried.

[Name]

One follow-up max. If they didn't respond after that, they're not interested right now.

Verify

[ ] 2-4 sentences max
[ ] Hook is specific and recent — not generic admiration
[ ] Credibility stated with numbers or names
[ ] Ask is crystal clear — specific time, specific topic
[ ] Casual tone — you'd send this to a friend
[ ] No filler words or throat-clearing
[ ] No generic phrases ("I hope this finds you well", "touching base")
[ ] Subject line is short and casual
[ ] No email signature block

See references/guide.md for real examples that got replies from Evan Spiegel, Mark Cuban, and Elon Musk — plus templates by situation and advanced tactics.