Friday Minute: Cold Emails Don't Work
Why 90% of founders are wasting their time trying to reach investors the wrong way and the only approach that actually gets you in the room
Friday Minute: Why cold emails are a waste of your time
How do you get in front of investors?
Most founders cannot get in front of investors.
So they cold email. They do those things that are honestly a waste of time and absolutely useless.
When I ask founders how many investors they’ve talked to, 90% of the time the number is less than five.
And when I ask who did you talk to: “I talked to this person at an event.”
That does not count. That is not an investor meeting.
You must, must get a warm intro.
I know this is controversial. It’s not ideal. It sucks.
I personally hate doing it. But it is the only thing that works.
Mark Andreessen says: a founder must be able to break through walls.
And so in order for you to get through anything, my first test of you is: can you get to me through a warm intro?
He’s like: “I know 10,000 people in my network.”
“If you can’t get one person in my network to say one nice thing about you, you don’t deserve my time.”
I’m not saying I like it. But it works.
Quality warm intro matters so much.
A player only comes through A player intro. That’s never changed.
As promised, startups in under a minute.
Stop cold emailing. One warm intro from the right person beats a hundred cold messages.
Arshan
PS - B players hire C players. A players only come through A player intros.
Today’s post is Sponsored by PureFi
Your bank pays you 0.02% APY. PureFi pays you 6%.
Sending money internationally? Banks charge 5-8% in fees.
Friday partnered with PureFi to help you keep more of what you earn.
If you’re saving or sending money across borders, check them out.
Support Friday
Friday is a 501(c)(3) that supports Muslim-led businesses through connection to community and capital. We connect founders, investors, operators, and industry experts to unlock expertise, capital, and collaboration.
How you can help power our mission:
Donate: Every dollar counts. Contribute now to help us reach our goal.
Share: Share with friends, family, and on social media. Your advocacy can amplify our impact.
Volunteer: Your time and skills can make an impact too.
You can also find us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, WhatsApp or join our community directly.



