How to Turn Cold Investors into Warm Leads
Fri Jan 23 2026
If your first interaction with an investor is asking for money, you have already lost.
Cold pitching investors has a success rate of nearly 0%. Warm introductions have a success rate of over 50%.
The gap between those two numbers is where most fundraising rounds die.
Most founders think they are stuck because they don't have a rich uncle or a deep network. The reality is: You just have the wrong process.
In this episode, I break down the Investor Warm-Up Protocol, a 4-step engineering approach to manufacturing warm relationships from cold contacts.
Read the full breakdown on the blog: https://ftb.bz/126B
Watch The Video: https://ftb.bz/126V
🚀 RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS
1. The Deep Dive (Workshop Recording):
This episode is adapted from my full 90-minute workshop, "From Cold Outreach to Capital." It covers the entire system, including target list building, email scripts, and automation tools.
👉 Get the Workshop: https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach
2. The Full System (Founder Quest Intensive):
Want to rebuild your entire fundraising stack (Model, Narrative, and Outreach) with hands-on coaching? Join the next cohort of the Founder Quest Intensive.
👉 Apply here: https://FounderQuest.com/intensive
In this episode, we cover:
· The Radar Ping: How to become "familiar" before you ever send an email.
· The "Quick Question": The specific type of DM that gets a reply (and what gets ignored).
· The Update Loop: How to automate trust-building over time.
· The Trap: Why pitching on the first call kills the deal.
#startup #fundraising #venturecapital #founder #entrepreneurship
More
If your first interaction with an investor is asking for money, you have already lost. Cold pitching investors has a success rate of nearly 0%. Warm introductions have a success rate of over 50%. The gap between those two numbers is where most fundraising rounds die. Most founders think they are stuck because they don't have a rich uncle or a deep network. The reality is: You just have the wrong process. In this episode, I break down the Investor Warm-Up Protocol, a 4-step engineering approach to manufacturing warm relationships from cold contacts. Read the full breakdown on the blog: https://ftb.bz/126B Watch The Video: https://ftb.bz/126V 🚀 RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS 1. The Deep Dive (Workshop Recording): This episode is adapted from my full 90-minute workshop, "From Cold Outreach to Capital." It covers the entire system, including target list building, email scripts, and automation tools. 👉 Get the Workshop: https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach 2. The Full System (Founder Quest Intensive): Want to rebuild your entire fundraising stack (Model, Narrative, and Outreach) with hands-on coaching? Join the next cohort of the Founder Quest Intensive. 👉 Apply here: https://FounderQuest.com/intensive In this episode, we cover: · The Radar Ping: How to become "familiar" before you ever send an email. · The "Quick Question": The specific type of DM that gets a reply (and what gets ignored). · The Update Loop: How to automate trust-building over time. · The Trap: Why pitching on the first call kills the deal. #startup #fundraising #venturecapital #founder #entrepreneurship