Cold Outreach Research

1. Success Story: Cold Email That Got the Job

Source: Derrick Sekidde on Medium
Context: DevOps engineer, laid off in 2019, cold emailed companies actively hiring

What He Did:

Targeted companies that posted roles in last 30 days (signal they're hiring)
Found one company that had CLOSED hiring (missed deadline by a week)
Wrote authentic, personal email directly to recruiter
Got response in 1 day, contract in 2 weeks

His Actual Email:

I am fascinated by the Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment... My fascination is a result of the technology making sure that minimal human interactions are required... At [Former-company], 2 of the projects I worked on were in the DevOps role... I believe that I will make a valuable asset to your team... Thus, if you are looking for an organized team player then I am the perfect fit. I am eager to learn more about how your organization can benefit from my contribution.

Why It Worked:

✅ Showed genuine interest/passion (fascination with CI/CD)
✅ Concrete experience (2 projects in DevOps role)
✅ Clear fit statement (organized team player)
✅ Humble close (eager to learn how I can contribute)
✅ Authentic tone (not polished/corporate)

2. VC Insider Advice: How to Break Into VC

Source: Jessica Li on Substack
Context: Former VC sharing what actually works when cold reaching out

What Works:

Cold outreach WITH VALUE ADD
- "Investors will generally not be receptive to a generic cold outreach email"
- "If you add value from the very first cold outreach message, investors will frequently take notice"
Offer Specific Help:
- Source startups from your network/geography
- Share a market map you created on relevant sector
- Interview promising startups and share findings
Think in Terms of TIME:
- "Seasoned investors may be better at diligencing than you, but they probably do not have the TIME"
- "If you have time to do so and can formulate findings in a digestible database or article, you will be adding value"
Do The Job Before You Have The Job:
- Interview startups in your network
- Write about future of particular spaces
- Conduct data analysis on failed vs successful startups
- Share unique perspectives on Twitter or blog

What NOT To Do:

❌ Generic "I'd love to discuss opportunities" emails
❌ Asking for job directly without value exchange
❌ Long, CV-dump introductions
❌ No preparation before coffee meetings

Pattern Analysis

Common Success Factors

Specificity - Reference something real (recent deal, post, person, thesis)
Brevity - 3-5 sentences max (VCs/finance people are BUSY)
Value Proposition - What can YOU do for THEM (not reverse)
Low-Friction Ask - Coffee > call > "discuss synergies"
Authenticity - Sound human, not AI-generated

Red Flags (AI/Generic)

❌ "I hope this message finds you well"
❌ "I am writing to express my interest in"
❌ "With my extensive background in..."
❌ "I would love to schedule a call to discuss"
❌ "I believe I could add significant value to your team"
❌ Perfect grammar, no contractions, formal tone

Key Learnings for Ana

Your Unique Strengths

Dubai-based → Can meet in person (HUGE advantage)
Real track record → $10M raised, Yellow Capital IR, Marsbase CEO
Operational experience → Not just finance theory, actual founder/operator
Network → 10 years in crypto/tech, real connections
Timing → You're THERE (DIFC proximity to all tier-1 firms)

What You Should NOT Do

❌ Mass apply to tier-3 jobs (you're overqualified, will get filtered out)
❌ Generic LinkedIn Easy Apply (waste of time for your profile)
❌ Ask "are you hiring?" (puts burden on them)
❌ Send perfect, polished AI emails (screams "mass outreach")

What You SHOULD Do

✅ Research-driven outreach to tier-1/2 targets
✅ Offer specific value (market maps, deal sourcing, intro to founders)
✅ Reference recent firm activity (deals, hires, posts)
✅ Low-friction asks (coffee at DIFC, not "discuss opportunities")
✅ Sound like YOU (casual, direct, human)

Proven Templates

Template 1: The Value-First Approach

Hey [Name] - Saw [Firm] backed [Recent Deal]. I'm based in Dubai doing IR for family offices - raised $10M+ for tech founders in MENA. Been following [specific thesis/sector] since my time at Yellow Capital. Have 3-4 intros to MENA founders in [relevant sector] if helpful for your pipeline. Would also just love to grab coffee at DIFC if you're around - no agenda, just curious about [Firm]'s MENA strategy. Totally get it if timing's off. -Ana

Why This Works: Opens with specific knowledge, establishes credibility in ONE line, offers concrete value, low-pressure ask, casual close, human touch

Template 2: The Market Map Hook

[Name] - quick q: Put together a map of MENA FO/VC firms investing in fintech (raised $50M+ in last 18mo). Saw [Firm] on the list with [recent deal]. Happy to share if useful for deal sourcing. Also down to add more color on Dubai ecosystem - I've been in crypto/tech here for 10yrs. Let me know, grabbing coffee in DIFC most days anyway.

Why This Works: Leads with value (market map already exists), specific data point (shows real work), no ask for job (just offering help), geographic proximity

Template 3: The Referral Leverage

Hey [Name], [Mutual Connection] mentioned you're at [Firm] - been following your MENA thesis since [specific post/interview]. I'm doing IR for FOs in Dubai, ex-founder (raised $10M+). Have some intros to portfolio companies in [sector] if helpful. Would love to say hi in person - I'm in DIFC most weeks. Let me know if coffee works, or happy to just make intros async. Best, Ana

Why This Works: Opens with social proof, shows you've done homework, value-first, multiple low-friction options

Template 4: The Post-Event Follow-Up

[Name] - Met you briefly at [Event] yesterday. You mentioned [Firm] is looking at [sector/geography] - that's exactly what I've been building in for the last 3 years (IR for Yellow Capital, raised $10M, then founded Marsbase). Have a few thoughts on [specific thing they mentioned] + some founder intros if helpful. Grabbing coffee in DIFC Thursday morning - down to sync then or whenever works. -Ana PS - loved the point you made about [something specific from their talk/convo]

Why This Works: Context (met IRL), callback to their interest, credibility in ONE line, specific add-value, low-pressure ask, human touch in PS

Template 5: The Twitter DM Opener

Loved your thread on [topic]. Been seeing this play out in Dubai - I do IR for FOs here, ex-founder (Marsbase, raised $10M). Have some data on [related topic] from my Yellow Capital days if you're ever writing a follow-up. Also happy to intro you to 2-3 founders doing [relevant thing]. In DIFC most days if you want to grab coffee.

Why This Works: Relevant to THEIR content (not about you), offers value related to their interests, geographic proximity, casual tone

What to Avoid

Bad Example (AI-Generated)

Dear [Name], I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to express my interest in opportunities at [Firm]. With my extensive background in capital formation and investor relations, I believe I could add significant value to your team. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated success in raising capital, managing investor relationships, and driving strategic initiatives. My experience includes leading fundraising efforts at Yellow Capital and serving as CEO of Marsbase. I would welcome the opportunity to schedule a call to discuss how my skills and experience align with [Firm]'s objectives. Please let me know your availability. Best regards, Anastasia Lukach

Why This FAILS:

❌ "Hope this finds you well" (robotic opening)
❌ "Express my interest" (self-focused)
❌ "Extensive background" / "significant value" (vague claims)
❌ CV dump (no value offered)
❌ "Schedule a call" (high-friction ask)
❌ Perfect grammar, no personality
❌ Formal sign-off (not how real people text)

Action Plan

Phase 1: Preparation (30 min)

Pick 5-10 tier-1 targets from your list
Research each: recent deals, tweets, posts, hires
Identify value you can offer (intros, market maps, insights)

Phase 2: Outreach (1 hour)

Send 5 hyper-personalized messages (use templates as BASE, not copy-paste)
Mix of email + LinkedIn + Twitter DM
Each message references something SPECIFIC about them/firm
Each message offers something VALUABLE
Keep under 5 sentences

Phase 3: Follow-Up (ongoing)

If no response in 3-4 days → soft follow-up
If response → MEET IN PERSON (your geographic advantage)
At coffee → build relationship first, job convo second

Success Metrics

Response rate target: 40-50% (vs 5-10% for generic cold emails)
Coffee meetings target: 3-5 in next 2 weeks
Job conversations: Will happen organically from relationships

📚 Cold Outreach Research

Sources (Verified & Real)