I always thought cold emails were a waste of time until one landed me a $12k project

For years, I refused to send cold emails. I figured my portfolio site was enough and that no one reads unsolicited messages. Last month, I was desperate after a big client ghosted, so I spent a whole Tuesday sending 30 very specific emails to small tech firms in Austin. I didn't use a template; each one mentioned a recent article they posted or a product update. I got 28 no-replies and one 'not right now.' But the last one? The founder wrote back in 20 minutes saying my timing was perfect because their lead designer just quit. We hopped on a call that afternoon, and I signed a contract for a full website rebuild. The lesson wasn't that cold email works, it's that targeted, human outreach to the right people can cut through the noise. How do you guys find good leads when your usual work dries up?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_shane12d ago

Wait, only 30 emails? That's insane!

mila_mitchell11d ago

Right? "That's insane" is putting it lightly... I saw that number and my jaw dropped. It feels like they set the bar way too low, @the_shane. It just doesn't match up with how people actually use their inbox. You'd hit that limit in a couple of days if you're signed up for anything online. It makes the whole service seem kind of pointless from the start.