The foundation for successful outreach

Before you send a single DM, you need to get the foundations right. The right platform, the right presence, and the right timing.

This lesson will show you how to set up your outreach the right way so that your messages feel natural and get real replies.

Step 1: Choose the Right Platform

There’s no single best outreach platform. It all comes down to context.

You want to choose platforms where your target customers are already spending time — and where the conversations happening match the mindset they’d need to be in to care about your product.

Here’s how to think about it:

🧠 B2C founder tip: A lot of founders assume LinkedIn is only for B2B. But if your product serves a professional use case or overlaps with someone’s work life (think productivity, career growth, AI tools, etc.), LinkedIn can still be a high-fit channel. The platform itself doesn’t determine success — it’s the mindset and context.

Step 2: Find Your Audience’s Communities

If you’re building in a space you know well, you probably already have a good sense of where your users hang out.

But the real question isn’t just “where are they?” — it’s “what mindset are they in while they’re there?”

The same person might:

• Use Reddit to troubleshoot problems
• Use LinkedIn to look smart professionally
• Use Instagram to share personal highlights
• Use Discord to talk shop with peers

So don’t just pick a platform based on popularity. Instead:

1. List 2–3 places your audience likely spends time online
2. For each one, ask:
   • What kinds of conversations happen here?
   • Are people in a mindset where my product would feel relevant?
   • What’s the tone and culture of the community?

This helps you avoid posting in places where your product might technically be relevant — but would feel out of place or ignored.

🤔 Not sure where your audience spends time?

Ask them directly.

A handful of conversations with real users will teach you more than hours of Googling.

Questions to ask:

• “What social platforms do you check regularly?”
• “Are there any newsletters, forums, or groups you’re a part of?”
• “Where do you go when you’re looking for help or ideas around [your product’s space]?”

Step 3: Show Up Before You DM

Here’s the simplest way to improve your response rates:

Become a known name before you ever reach out.

Start by following the people you want to build relationships with — and more importantly, the people around them.

Then spend a few days just engaging:

• Like their posts
• Comment thoughtfully (don’t just say “Great post”)
• Join comment sections with useful observations
• Ask sincere questions that contribute to the discussion
• Respond to others in the comments — not just the author

🧠 Important clarification:

Showing up doesn’t mean replying directly to the person you eventually want to DM.

You’re just becoming visible in the community at large.

Think of it like showing your face at a neighborhood gathering before introducing yourself directly. The familiarity makes the DM feel more natural later on.

Step 4: Look for Trigger Moments

This is the moment when it’s time to reach out. And it’s the part that most people get wrong.

A trigger moment is when someone says or does something that signals they’re open to connection — and that your outreach will feel natural instead of random.

Examples of trigger moments:

• They post about a challenge your product solves
• They share an opinion you genuinely agree with
• They ask for feedback or input
• They comment on something you’ve engaged with
• They mention a tool, process, or topic related to your space

💬 Example:

You see Tom post on LinkedIn about testing a new AI writing tool. He lists a few pros and cons.

That’s your moment.

You DM Tom and say:

“Hey Tom, just saw your post about [Tool]. We’ve been considering trying it too. Curious — have you found a way around the [specific limitation] you mentioned? That’s been our biggest hesitation.”

This kind of message gets replies. It’s thoughtful, contextual, and rooted in something they cared enough to post about.

⚠️ Don’t skip this step.

A lot of founders do everything else right — they engage in the community, they build familiarity — and then they blow it by sending a random, off-topic DM with no trigger moment.

It breaks the rhythm and resets the trust. Wait for the signal. It’s always worth it.

Coming Up Next

Now that you know how to pick your platform, find your people, and identify the right moment to reach out, you’re ready for the next step: writing the message.

We’ve covered a few light examples so far, but in the next lesson we’ll break down exactly:

• What to say in that first DM
• How to start a real conversation (not a pitch)
• How to move from building social capital to a commercial value

Let’s keep going.