SignalGate — Encryption Can’t Fix Stupid… But AI Can
April 7, 2025
This week’s government news was dominated by Signalgate. All kinds of theories have been floated about how it occurred, who is responsible, and if the messages were really secret.
Distribution is hard and it’s especially tough early on, when you’re trying to get your first customer discovery calls. Most founders will need to go outside of their comfort zone and develop new skills in order to solve this problem. Here’s the patterns I see most often:
I usually have to beg founders to stop using automated outreach tools and start with manual work. Even though it seems inefficient, any tool you use will leave fingerprints and will likely cause your messages to be categorized as spam.
It’s usually best to start by asking for advice from your potential customers until you have a clear idea of the messaging that works best. Of course, if they’re excited about your product, the advice call can quickly become sales focused.
Nobody replies to generic cold emails. As a rule, ensure every email you send is personalized and targeted such that if you yourself received it, you would respond.
Best of luck out there.
