Writing Effective Outreach
Getting the right candidate matters on Paraform–with 500+ active roles across top startups and growing at a rate of 30% MoM, every great candidate you invest in can get hired on Paraform.
If you're sending recruiting outreach that sounds like it could’ve been copy-pasted from any other inbox, you’re not building a wedge. Great outreach doesn’t just list requirements or funding rounds. It tells a story, builds curiosity, and sells a real opportunity. Below, we break down the difference between good and bad outreach.
These are adopted from real outreach but all information has been obstructed + consent has been given to share these.
Low Converting Outreach: Generic
Subject: Full Stack Engineer Opportunity in NYC
Your background in [relevant company] caught my eye. I’m reaching out about a full stack engineer role we’re hiring for in New York City. It’s a hybrid position (4 days/week in person) at an early-stage startup empowering creators to monetize their audiences.
They just raised 15M from top tier VCs, signed a Fortune 500 customer, and are looking for their third engineer to scale up their core platform.
Requirements:
- Experience with JavaScript, React, Next.js, and Postgres
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
- Comfortable owning features end-to-end
- Familiar with ML or Computer Vision infrastructure (a plus)
- Strong communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally
Let me know if you are interested and I can share more details!
Why This Doesn’t Work:
- Weak subject line: There’s no hook making someone more likely to open this message.
- Sounds like every other message. "Hybrid in NYC, just raised $15M..." — great, so did 20 other startups in my inbox.
- Laundry list of requirements. Your candidate doesn’t need to see the requirements: how would that convince them to reply and join?
In other words, nothing stands out about this outreach.
Better Outreach
Subject: Founding Engineer | $25M ARR in 3 Months | 15M a16z round
I’m a talent partner working with a well-funded, early-stage startup in NYC ([startup name]) that just raised $15M from the same firms behind Cursor and Decagon. You’re one of the only engineers that made my shortlist for this incredible role.
[startup name] is building tools to help digital creators protect and monetize their work, and they’re hiring a Founding Full Stack Engineer to join the core team (hybrid, 4 days/week in their Seaport office).
Why [startup name] is different:
- You’d be the first engineering hire alongside the founders — shaping the codebase, culture, and product from day one.
- The team is cracked: the founder was the founding engineer at Figma, and the Head of Product led two $50M+ exits.
- They're growing at 50% MoM and already generating $25M in ARR — just three months post-launch.
If you’re excited by early-stage momentum, deep product ownership, and working with proven builders — I’d love to share more.
If this one doesn’t pique your interest, let’s still grab 10 minutes to connect. I have access to 400+ roles as a talent partner working with Paraform, and I’m confident we can find something that fits your goals.
Why this is better:
- Stronger subject line. $25M ARR in 3 months? 15M round from A16Z? You would at least click into the email to see what startup it is :)
- Underscores credibility. Startups pivot a lot - many times, a candidate is joining a team. Highlight what makes this team so special.
- Calling out it’s the same investor that invested in this startup and Cursor/Decagon (strong names) also lends credibility.
- Keeps the door open. Even if this one’s not a fit, it invites a bigger conversation — and shows you’ve got more than one role up your sleeve to retain the candidate.
- Makes the candidate feel exclusive. You want to avoid your emails sounding like they’re blasted out as much as possible.
It could be even better with more personalization achieved through tools like Clay and such.
Additional Considerations
- Follow up multiple times. Great candidates are busy. Follow up at least 3 times. Multithread if you can - send them a LinkedIn message, connection request, and email.
- Incentivize referrals. Include a candidate referral link and let them know they can earn $5K if they refer someone who gets hired. You can include these with our email sequencing tool!
- Craft an irresistible subject line. Aim for curiosity or relevance. (e.g. "Congrats on the offer, [Name]!")
Overall Checklist for Outreach
- Strong subject line - goal is making the candidate open the email
- Include traction signals (ARR, funding, growth rate, customers)
- Highlight team pedigree (repeat founders, previous exits, industry knowledge, etc.)
- Do not send a list of requirements - sell the role
- End with a clear call to action
- Leave room for other options if the role is not a fit
- Have 3+ touchpoints with candidate
