Most email drips feel like they were written by AI trained on 2012 SaaS blogs.
Over-polished. Over-automated. Overlooked.
When you’re a founder reaching out to early leads, your emails should feel like a person wrote them. Because they should.
This is a human-first, trust-building drip sequence that earns attention—and gets replies.
The 5-Email Founder-Led Drip Sequence
Each message builds the relationship. And every email has one job: earn the next step.
Email 1: The “Why You” Intro
Subject: Quick hello from [Your Name]
Body:
Hey [First Name],
I came across your work via [platform, post, mutual connection] and thought it was worth reaching out.
I’m building [your product], which helps [role] at [company type] solve [pain point] in a simpler, faster way.
Not a pitch—just curious to hear your take. If it’s a conversation worth having, let’s chat.
Best,
[Your Name]
Email 2: The Resource Share
Subject: Thought this might be helpful
Body:
Hey [First Name],
We just put together something on [topic] that’s been helpful for folks dealing with [pain point].
If you’re interested, happy to send it over. Either way, keep up the great work—I’ve been following your stuff.
Best,
[Your Name]
Email 3: The Proof Point
Subject: Quick story—[result in brackets]
Body:
Hey [First Name],
A team at [similar company] was struggling with [same pain point]. We helped them [specific outcome] within [timeframe].
It reminded me of what you mentioned about [reference a post/comment/context].
If it sparks ideas on your end, happy to walk through how they tackled it.
Cheers,
[Your Name]
Email 4: The Invite
Subject: Worth a 15-minute chat?
Body:
Hi [First Name],
I know your time’s valuable. I’m happy to show what we’re building—especially if [use case] is top of mind.
Even if now’s not the right time, I’d still love your thoughts.
Would a quick call next week work?
Best,
[Your Name]
Email 5: The Close-the-Loop
Subject: One last nudge
Body:
Hey [First Name],
Totally understand if now’s not the right fit or time. No hard feelings either way.
If the [pain point] ever becomes urgent, feel free to reach out. We’ll be here.
Appreciate the time,
[Your Name]
How to Make This Sequence Actually Work
- Send manually at first — It keeps you in touch with tone and reply trends.
- Log every reply — Use feedback to tweak the copy or cadence.
- Segment by use case — A founder at a seed-stage SaaS startup and a RevOps lead at a $20M company need different framing.
- Use AI to personalize — GPT can rewrite intros and subject lines while keeping your tone.
Prompt:
“Rewrite this cold email for a RevOps lead at a Series A SaaS startup. Make it conversational, founder-led, and focused on reducing manual lead follow-up.”
What to Do This Week
- Write your 5-message drip in your voice
- Send 25 messages manually to warm leads
- Track opens and replies in a simple sheet
- Book 3 calls from the first batch
- Tweak based on responses—not assumptions
Startups don’t win because of automated sequences.
They win because someone real cared enough to send a great one.
