{39} Email Etiquette, Live Coding & Free Trials
Featuring Arvid Kahl, Michael Aubry, and Olly 🙌
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Email: Etiquette
Arvid Kahl
When you write cold emails and/or follow-ups, don’t do this.
My inbox is not for you to manipulate. Nobody’s is.
In fact, you even considering this is an extremely disrespectful perspective that I will remember — about you AND the business you represent.
All the Worst,
Arvid
Manipulative tactics in cold emails are the worst. I will never connect on LinkedIn with anyone who leads with “I’m still waiting for your response…”. It implies that I was obligated to respond to an initial cold outreach, and now someone is giving off annoyed project manager vibes. No thanks.
I’m not against cold outreach. My time is not so valuable that I’m unwilling to listen to a pitch. All I ask for is basic respect. Abusive language is not acceptable. I also don’t care for flowery compliments from someone I’ve never met.
LinkedIn could be part of the solution instead of perpetuating the problem. By focusing on an ignore/accept workflow, we aren’t giving people who use manipulative tactics feedback to improve their messaging. Here is an alternative workflow:
When you are presented with the option to connect with someone, the same ignore/accept interface could be presented.
If you click ignore, there should be more options beyond the basic “I don’t know X”. Options could include “Manipulative outreach” and “Pitch not compelling”.
Instead of immediately confronting the person with a message like “Dane doesn’t want to connect because your pitch isn’t compelling”, just treat it as an ignore and give macro feedback via analytics. Maybe send a monthly recap “60% of your missed connections were caused by manipulative outreach last month”.
Coding: Live
Michael Aubry
If I built a micro SaaS and live-streamed the process and shipped within 24 hours would you tag along and support?
I like the idea of live-streaming the process of building an app. I don’t do it because it’s challenging enough to write code. Talking through my thought process and engaging with a community is beyond my single-tracked ability.
I haven’t really followed the latest Twitch developments. Maybe what I’m about to describe is possible on Twitch or another platform. But here is a system I’d be very interested in as a producer and consumer.
Live-streaming the process of building an app should be more of a team activity and less of a situation where you are looking over the shoulder of a developer. Imagine if 1-2 designers and 1-2 developers are collaborating. When someone takes a break from designing or coding, they become a commentator and engage with the community. They explain what they’ve just accomplished, talk about what other people are working on, get feedback from the audience, and get ready to dive back into their work.
While contributors take turns commentating, viewers can either follow the commentator’s POV or follow any of the contributor screens.
The entire process would allow people to focus on one thing at a time without compromising the viewer experience. I’m sure there are super developers capable of achieving all that while working solo. I find that to be mentally draining. It’ll be interesting to see how Michael approaches live coding.
SaaS: Free Trials
Olly
You're on a SaaS landing page.
What convinces you to start a free trial?
I personally avoid free trials whenever possible. As a user, free trials often result in negative experiences:
You use a product that solves an immediate need, then forget about it. Several months later, you realize the free trial expired, and you’ve been paying a monthly fee for something you aren’t using.
You invest time trying to solve a problem with a free trial but don’t get to the finish line before it expires. Then you’re in an awkward position where you aren’t sure if it solves your problem, but you’re forced to make a huge commitment to continue.
I’m far more likely to sign up for a product with a freemium offering. That gives me as much time as I need to see if the solution works for my use case. Then I can upgrade when I’m ready to ramp up usage.
I even prefer a low-tier paid option over free trials. I’m not after a free lunch as a user. I don’t mind paying to receive value from a product. I just don’t like free trials.