Write clearly and say what you want
Plain words, short sentences, one ask per message. And if you share a language with the person, write in theirs. Clarity is respect.
Never send AI emails
People can smell a generated message, and it tells them you did not care enough to write it yourself. Use AI to think, never to speak for you.
Reach out with a reason
Know why it is this specific person, and open with what they get out of it, not your pitch. Generic outreach earns generic silence.
Be on time
Every meeting, every call, no exceptions. Being late says their time matters less than yours.
Be reliable
Do what you said you would do, by when you said you would do it. Every kept promise compounds into trust. One missed promise quietly undoes ten.
Be responsive
Be reachable, or answer very quickly. How fast you reply is read as a proxy for how you run your company.
Show up in person, and close every loop
Say yes to the call and the coffee, where real trust is built. And never ghost. A clear no beats silence every time.
Tell the truth early, especially the bad news
Send it yourself, and send it straight. People back founders they can trust with reality, not just the wins.
Guard your network
It takes years to build and minutes to burn. Honor every intro, thank the connector, and give before you ever ask. AI can break a lot, very fast.
Be all in, and have fun
Half committed is worse than not starting. And if the work is not fun, it will not last. There will be brutal stretches, but the baseline has to be joy.