Hi Josh, saw your HN comment about [thing you said]. [Compliment.] I’m curious, [open-ended question]?
It saddens me that what was once a rare joy and way to meet interesting people is now being abused to send cold emails. Look, I get it, cold emails are a fact of life, I’ve sent them before as well, but the deceptive ones are where I draw the line. I would never waste someone’s time without being upfront about why I’m contacting them. Personally I find this “growth hacking” to be disgusting and I will never use a product advertised to me in this way.
Because these people are obscuring the real reason, it’s impossible to tell what is a real question and what is just a setup to pitch. I resent having to read every one of these emails as a potential pitch, but I also try not to assume the worst about everyone that reaches out. I wouldn’t want to snub someone because I thought they were going to pitch to me when they had a legitimate question or just wanted to talk. I’ve started sending short emails back and only if I don’t get a pitch back do I actually engage but I dislike feeling distrustful, treating people as guilty until proven innocent. I love talking about tech, I love talking to other people about cool things they are doing, I hate being advertised to and I hate it even more when it’s wrapped up in fake interest.
