I've applied to <5 jobs ever. For most, I wrote my own job description (w/ real examples)

Here's a full breakdown (w/ real examples) on the art of cold emails :

Key formula: Attention (subject line), Personal touch, Benefits, Credibility, Simple Ask.

1. Attention - Why should they care

Nobody cares about you or your app. They care about what’s in it for them.
If you're a young, ambitious student like me, your story is your leverage.
Share it in a unique way—it’s more valuable than you think.

2. Personal touch - Show you've researched.

Find what others don't notice - their personal blogs, stories, interviews etc. Show your sincerity. If you're sending over 5 cold emails a day, you're likely not doing enough research.

Example (worked on the founder of BranchOut):
"How the heck are ya? I've been a big fan of yours ever since I saw you speak about turning down a $200,000 job at Fisher Scientific to start a company with $20,000 in the bank and no income for 10 months...so badass."

3. Talk like a human, not AI.

Write like you speak. Keep the readability level at grade 5.
Good resource - Hemingway editor. • Short sentences. • No fluff. • No full life story, just the trailer.

4. Benefits - GIVE

Be a giver, not a taker. Find creative ways to provide value.
Make a website for them, send them free samples.

5. Credibility (Be creative if you have none)

"You're the average of your accomplishments, not the sum" - Oren Klaff, Pitch Anything
Highlight 1 or 2 of your successes. Find anything that shows you're a person of action.

Example (worked on Shaan Puri):
"I made an irreversible decision: just 30 days in, I quit () startup. The opportunity cost of not being full time in crypto was too high."
Lucky for you, this means I’m on the market. I think you should hire me".

6. Simple ask: brain-dead simple

The goal is to get a 1 word/sentence reply
Ex: "Reply with "interested" and I'll be happy to send over more details"

7. The most important part - Subject line

You need to spend 50% of your time on this. This is the key to them opening your email.
Write something so unique, so random that they get compelled to open it.
"my dog says hey" -- the subject line used by Sam Parr to get founders of Pandora, NerdWallet, Teespring, Imgur, etc. to speak at his event

8. Following up - Okay, I lied, this is the most important part

This is what separates you. Big shots get 100’s of emails a day, so they’ll most likely ignore you. Following up will 2x your reply rate.
For mentors, follow up with your progress.

“if you’re not interested in this, no sweat…I’m still a fan of your company.”
As long you’re tasteful, you can send 7 to 10 emails every 5 days without being annoying

Real Examples: