First Customers (GTM)

Is cold outreach even worth it, or is it just spam that hurts my brand?

A starting point

Done lazily it's spam; done well it's just starting a relevant conversation with someone who genuinely needs you. The difference is targeting and personalization, a tight list of ideal-fit prospects plus a message that speaks to their real problem is outreach, not spam. Many of the best B2B startups got their first customers exactly this way.

Go deeper

Read

📄 Article
Freemium Intermediate

How today's fastest-growing B2B startups found their first ten customers

From Lenny's Newsletter by Lenny Rachitsky ~15 min read

Why we picked it

A data-backed teardown of how companies like Figma, Gusto, and Vanta actually sourced their earliest customers. Replaces guesswork with real patterns.

  • Only three sourcing strategies power nearly all very-early B2B growth.
  • Tap your personal network first (Gusto's first 10 were friends/YC batchmates).
  • Reach influential users via direct outreach (Figma cold-emailed top designers).
  • Start with the highest-trust channels and work outward.
Open lennysnewsletter.com →
📄 Article
Free Beginner

The Close Sales Blog (Steli Efti on cold email & founder sales)

From Close by Steli Efti article series

Why we picked it

Steli Efti (YC alum, co-founder of Close CRM) is one of the most trusted voices on startup outbound and cold email, practical, battle-tested, and free.

  • A great cold email answers the right question with a single clear call to action.
  • The subject line must spark curiosity and promise what the body delivers.
  • Follow up persistently, most replies come after the first email.
  • Objections are buying signals; welcome and dig into them.
Open close.com →

People also ask

How do I write a cold email that people actually reply to? Keep it short, personal, and about them, not you. Nail a subject line that sparks curiosity, open with a specific reason you're reaching out to *th... Beginner 3 resources → How many times should I follow up before giving up on a cold prospect? More than you think, most replies come after the first email, not on it. Follow up persistently but politely, adding a little new value each time, ... Beginner 2 resources → Cold email or cold LinkedIn/DM, what works better for reaching first customers? Use whichever gets you in front of your specific buyer, and often combine them, a warm LinkedIn touch before a cold email lifts reply rates. Email ... Intermediate 2 resources → How do I build a targeted list of the right people to cold email? Define your ideal customer sharply, then hand-build a small list of exactly-fit prospects instead of blasting thousands. Use LinkedIn, community me... Intermediate 2 resources → What tools should I use to send and track cold outreach without spamming? For your first customers you often need nothing more than your normal inbox and a spreadsheet, send personal 1:1 emails and track replies by hand. ... Intermediate 2 resources → Where do I find the very first people to even talk to about my product? Start with the channels that already have trust and work outward: your personal network, then your extended network via warm intros, then the influ... Beginner 3 resources →