80,000 Hours

Why we picked it This collection was built for asking strangers for small favors like introductions and advice, which is a gentler version of the same skill a founder needs for a cold ask. The scripts are short, specific, and easy to adapt, and they're a good model for the low-friction, single-ask ending your own email needs.

The Best Email Scripts for Cold-Emailing

From 80,000 Hours by Benjamin Todd

• Keep the ask small and specific, a single question beats an open-ended one
• State plainly how you found the person and why you're writing to them
• Make it easy to say no, it paradoxically makes people more likely to say yes