Early in my career, I made it a habit to send out two dozen cold emails every week to broaden my network and expand my thinking.
Through the compounding effect of doing this every week for over five years, this habit helped me:
I've learned that sending cold emails has a significantly disproportionate amount of upside relative to the effort required. It can be the single most impactful habit in your career — it has been for mine.
I've observed most people aren't sending enough cold emails, and those that do aren't using an effective formula.
Over the years, I've sent thousands of cold emails and messages, and I've figured out a formula that works remarkably well for me.
My strategy comes from proven copywriting principles that are simple yet effective.
Start with a message that hooks the reader in. Make it relevant, engaging, and tailored to who your reader is. Always ask yourself: Why should they keep reading?
An effective piece of writing should be like a slippery slope. The first line will hook the person in and compel them to read the second line. The second line will convince them to read the third, and so on. Keep this section to one or two sentences.
Examples:
Then, briefly, concisely, and humbly introduce yourself, highlighting your accomplishments.
Keep this short and punchy. A framework that works well here is:
Example: "I'm a product analyst at a Fortune 50 company, focused on improving our internal CRM software. I have a passion for finding "hacks" and tricks to improve productivity, and within my first year here, I was awarded the "Execution Excellence" award for building an automation that saved our company 1,000 hours of engineering time."
It's human nature for your reader to ask, "So what's in it for me?".
Telling your story, sharing your accomplishments, and including details on the impact you've created for others will give others a compelling reason to build a relationship with you.
Consider the remarkable things you've created, tough obstacles you've overcome, or challenging problems you've solved.
Remember to brag about yourself!
Example: "I immigrated to the US when I was 15 years old, knowing nobody, with $300 to my name. 4 years later, I've built a community of 400+ first-generation immigrants to help them adapt to the local culture and started two restaurants that serve South East Asian cuisine that has been featured in Eater Magazine"
It doesn't hurt to include genuine appreciation and praise for the person you're contacting.
Do research on the person you're reaching out to. If they're a public figure or notable person, read their books, listen to their podcast, and study their work so that you can praise their works
For someone who is more private, browse their LinkedIn and get a sense of their passions and interests, and let them know what you admire.
Genuine compliments can go a long way.
Example: "I have been reading your blog for the last two years and especially enjoyed the articles "Hill climbing" and "Cities." It's been incredibly impactful on my life and career, and I appreciate you for doing what you do. Thank you!"
Finally, mention your ask.
Make it specific and actionable. Do not contact others to "connect" or "expand" your network. Too often, I received a note from others on LinkedIn asking me to "Add them to my LinkedIn network."
Remember that the size of your ask should be proportional to the depth of your relationship with that person. If you don't know them at all, ask for an email response. If you have a few mutual connections, ask for a 30-minute call. If you have a strong mutual relationship, ask for an in-person meeting.
Other examples for clear asks:
Example: "I'd love to be considered for the Product Manager role at ABC Company. I believe that my experience designing products, collaborating with engineers, and conducting deep user research makes me an excellent candidate for the role. If you're open to providing a referral — that would mean the world to me. If not — I really appreciate your time and would appreciate 1-2 sentences of feedback."
Put this into practice immediately with this simple exercise:
Early in my career, when I was just a newbie at Meta (f.k.a. Facebook), I sent an email to one of the C-suite executives that landed me a response and a video call where I was able to gain invaluable insights on writing, tech, and business. I've continued to adopt the practice of regularly cold emailing and landed responses from tech titans like Mark Cuban that have allowed me to get new insights and communities that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to access.
Set aside 20 minutes a week to intentionally expand your network, and you'll find yourself attracting more opportunities, relationships, and wealth.
Andrew Yeung is a former global product lead at Google and Business Planning & Operations Lead at Meta. He is currently an immigrant entrepreneur (Founder of Andrew's Mixers and The Junto Club), an early-stage investor at Next Wave NYC, and creator with 120,000+ subscribers.