How to tap your network (the right way)

How to get your first customers without spamming everyone you know

Why Most Founders Get This Wrong

You've seen the posts. Maybe you've written them. "Just launched my app! Please check it out and share with your friends!" Or that LinkedIn message that clearly went to 200+ people with zero personalization.

But here’s the thing: 95% of your network can't help you right now. Your college roommate's mom isn't going to become a user of your millennial-centric finance app. Your neighbor probably won't refer you to enterprise buyers.

But that other 5%? They're incredibly valuable, you just need to approach them correctly.

The companies that got this right didn't spam their entire contact list. Facebook started with one targeted email to a single dorm mailing list. Slack asked friends at other companies to test it, starting with just a handful of companies they knew personally. Yelp invited people from their network (mostly former PayPal coworkers) and asked them to invite their friends. LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman intentionally seeded the product with successful friends, recognizing that an aspirational brand was crucial for mainstream adoption.

The game is all about reaching the right people with the right approach.

How to Tap Your Network the Right Way

Step 1: Identify Your Goal

Before you reach out to anyone, get crystal clear on what you're trying to achieve. You can have multiple goals, but each person you contact should map to a specific objective:

Primary Goals:

• Get first customers: People who fit your target user profile and might actually pay/use your product.
• Get product feedback: Trusted contacts who can give honest input on your product.
• Get introductions: Access to investors, potential employees, industry experts, or partners through warm connections.
• Get amplification: People with audiences who might share your product if they love it.

Tip: You can assign multiple goals to one person. Your former colleague might be a potential customer and know other potential customers.

Step 2: Make Your List

Go through every digital connection you have systematically:

• LinkedIn: Go to My Network > Connections. Scroll through or export your full list.
• Email contacts: Check Gmail contacts, work email, and any old email accounts you still have access to.
• Phone contacts: Export your iPhone/Android contacts and scan through them.
• Social media: Review followers/friends on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook who you actually know.
• Professional history: Former colleagues, classmates, people you met at conferences, networking events, etc.
• Personal connections: Friends, family members, neighbors—anyone who knows you and your work.

💡 In your project for this module you’ll have a master spreadsheet where you can fill all of this out.‍

Don't forget second-level relationships. Remember that interesting person you met at a conference three months ago? The founder you chatted with at a networking event? These count. It doesn't matter if you're not close, what matters is the connection exists.

Identify second-level relationships to map goals for first-level contacts. If your friend knows a high-value person you'd like to connect with, then "getting an introduction to X" becomes your goal for that friend.

Step 3: Prioritize and Prune (The 80/20 Rule)

Don’t try to reach everyone, instead target the 20% that will actually move the needle for you.

Use this simple scoring system for each contact:

Relevance (0-3 points):

• 3: Perfect target customer or high-leverage connection
• 2: Adjacent to your market or has relevant experience
• 1: Loosely connected to your space
• 0: No connection to your business

Influence (0-3 points):

• 3: Can make buying decisions and/or has significant industry influence
• 2: Has some decision-making power and/or a valuable network
• 1: Limited influence or network
• 0: No influence or network

Accessibility (0-3 points):

• 3: Close relationship, very likely to respond
• 2: Professional relationship, good chance of response
• 1: Distant connection but positive history
• 0: Haven't spoken in years or difficult to reach

Keep only contacts scoring 6+ points. This automatically filters you down to the top 20% who are most likely to help.

Quick gut-check questions:

• Does this person have any connection to your industry, target market, or goal?
• Can they make decisions, provide valuable feedback, or connect you with decision-makers?
• Are they likely to respond to you positively?

A focused list of 25 high-quality contacts beats blasting 250 random people every time.

Step 4: Assign Goals for Each Person

For everyone on your prioritized list, write down:

• Primary goal: Customer, feedback, introduction, amplification
• Why they're relevant: What makes them valuable for this goal
• Relationship context: How you know them, last interaction

Example:Sarah (former coworker): Goal = potential customer. She's now head of marketing at a B2B SaaS company and our product solves lead generation problems. Last spoke 6 months ago when she shared her new role on LinkedIn.

Step 5: Do Your Research

Before reaching out, spend 5-10 minutes understanding each person's current situation. Here's exactly what to look for:

LinkedIn (2-3 minutes):

• Their last 3-5 posts. What are they talking about?
• Recent job changes or company updates.
• Any mentions of challenges, goals, or interests relevant to your product.

Company research (2-3 minutes):

• Check their company's recent news, funding announcements, or product launches.
• Look at their company's About page to understand their mission, product, market, etc
• Quick Google search: "[Company name] news" for the past 3 months.

Personal context (1-2 minutes):

• How did you originally meet or connect?
• Any mutual connections you could mention?
• Previous conversations or interactions you can reference.

Red flags to watch for:

• Recent layoffs or major company struggles (maybe not the best time to pitch)
• Posts indicating they're overwhelmed or taking a break from new commitments

This research transforms a generic outreach into a relevant conversation. You'll reference specific details that show you actually pay attention to their work.

Step 6: Write Your Message

Your goal is removing friction. Make it as easy as possible for them to say yes to a small ask.

Core principles to keep in mind:

Make it personal: Reference specific details from your researchStart small: Don't lead with your biggest askBe honest: Don't pretend you're not hoping they'll become a customer or supporterRemove burden: Make it easy for them to help you

Message Templates by Goal:

For Potential Customers:

Subject lines:

• “Idea for your [team/function] re: [specific problem]”• “[Name], quick thought on [their problem]”• “Heads up on something for [company]’s [goal]”• “Saw your note on [topic] — here’s a fix”

Hey [Name],

I saw your recent post about struggling with [specific problem]. I've been working on a solution for that exact use case.

I just launched [product name] and think it could really help with [specific benefit for them]. Would you be open to trying it out for free and giving me some quick feedback?

I know your time is valuable, so I'd love to show you how it works in a quick 15-minute call if you're interested.

[Link to schedule]

Thanks!
[Your name]

For Feedback Requests:

Subject lines:

• “Gut check on [problem]?”• “Would you poke holes in this?”• “Reality check: does this solve [problem]?”

Hey [Name],

Hope you're doing well! I remember you mentioning [specific detail about their work/interests].

I've been building [product name] to solve [problem] and would love to get your thoughts on it. I know you have great insights on [relevant area], and your feedback would be incredibly valuable.

Would you be up for a quick 15-minute call to see what I've built? Happy to show you a demo and get your honest take.

[Link to schedule]

Best,
[Your name]

For Introduction Requests (Write this FOR THEM to send):

Subject lines:

• “Intro to [Target Name]?”• “Quick intro request”• “Mind connecting me with [Target Name]?”

Subject: Quick intro - [Your name] and [Product name]

Hey [Target's name],

Hope you're doing well! I wanted to introduce you to [Your name], who's building something I think you'd find interesting.

[Your name] just launched [product name] to help [specific audience] with [specific problem]. Given your experience with [relevant area], I thought you might want to check it out and share your thoughts.

Here's a bit about what they're building: [2-3 sentence description focused on the problem it solves]

If you're interested in learning more, you can schedule a quick call here: [Link to schedule]

No pressure at all if now isn't a good time!

Best,
[Your friend's name]

For Amplification:

Subject lines:

• “Quick thought on something I’m building”
• “Your [topic] post got me thinking…”
• “An early look (before I share publicly)”
• “Idea you might appreciate”

Hey [Name],

Loved your recent post about [specific topic]. It really resonated with me because I've been building something related.

I just launched [product name] to help [specific audience] with [specific problem]. It's still early, but I'm getting some interesting results with beta users.

I'm not asking you to share it with your audience (yet!), but if you're curious about what I'm building, I'd love to show you a quick demo and get your thoughts.

[Link to schedule]

Best,
[Your name]

Key Message Guidelines:

Do:

• Reference something specific about them
• Lead with their problem, not your solution
• Make a small, specific ask
• Include easy next steps (calendar link)
• Keep it under 100 words
• Be genuine about wanting their input

Don't:

• Send the same message to everyone
• Lead with "I just launched, please share"
• Make big asks upfront
• Write long emails about yourself
• Use generic language

Step 7: Follow Up Systematically (The Tuesday Strategy)

Most founders send one message and give up. Don't. Here's the proven follow-up sequence:

The Schedule:

• Tuesday at 11am: Send initial message
• Thursday: Send friendly follow-up to non-responders
• Following Tuesday: Send thank-you email to everyone (this often generates additional responses)

Follow-up Templates:

Thursday Follow-up:

`Hey [Name],

Wanted to make sure you didn't miss my message about [product name]. I know your inbox is probably crazy.

Still would love to get your thoughts on what I'm building – no pressure at all if now isn't a good time!

[Original message below]`

Thank-you Email (Following Tuesday):

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to thank you all for the support and feedback on [product name]. The response has been incredible and your insights are helping shape what we're building.

Thanks for being part of the journey!

[Your name]

⚠️ Important notes on the thank-you email:

• This is admittedly a bit hacky – if you're not comfortable with this approach, skip it entirely
• NEVER send this as a mass BCC email – send individual, personalized messages to each person
• The goal is genuine appreciation, not manipulation

Why this works: The thank-you email doesn't ask for anything, which often prompts people who missed your original message to reach out. Plus, it shows that others did offer to help and expressed support, which creates some FOMO which can never hurt.

Don't ask people if they're willing to help first: This introduces unnecessary friction. The more steps you require, the less likely people are to complete them.

Track everything: Create a simple spreadsheet with these columns:

• Name
• Company/Role/Profile
• Goal (Customer, Feedback, Intro, Amplification)
• Contact Method (e.g. Email, LinkedIn)
• Date Sent
• Status (e.g. Contacted, Replied, Booked, Not a fit, etc.)
• Next Steps & Due Date (e.g. follow up in 7 days)
• Notes (Their response, learnings, etc.)

This prevents awkward double-messages and helps you follow up systematically. Set reminders to check your spreadsheet weekly.