A warm introduction works because someone the other person trusts vouches for you. That trust belongs to the person making the introduction, so the job is to make it easy for them to say yes and safe for them to say no. This guide covers the double opt-in method and five copyable templates: the ask, a forwardable blurb, the introduction itself, your reply and the thank-you that closes the loop. It also shows how to adapt them for a customer, an investor or a partner. It is useful without a Soloop account.
The short answer
Ask your contact whether they are comfortable making the introduction, and give them a short note they can forward unchanged. They check with the other person first. Only when both sides agree does anyone send the introduction email. Then you reply quickly, move the connector to Bcc and tell them how it went.
Keep the request specific: one person or one kind of person, one reason, one small ask such as a 20-minute call. A vague request to "connect me with anyone useful" puts the work back on the person doing you a favour.
Fred Wilson described asking each person to opt in to an introduction before making it, because unwanted introductions cost the recipient time and put them in an awkward position.
AVC, November 3, 2009The templates, adaptations and log are editorial guidance written for this page. They are not tested response-rate formulas.
How a double opt-in introduction works
There are four messages, and only the third one goes to both people. Everything before it gives each side a chance to decline privately.
| Dimension | Who sends it, to whom | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The ask | You → the connector | Asks whether they know the person well enough and are comfortable checking with them. |
| 2. The forwardable blurb | You → connector → the other person | Explains who you are and what you want in a note the connector can forward without rewriting. |
| 3. The introduction | Connector → both of you | Sent only after the other person agrees. Names each side and why they should talk. |
| 4. Reply and thank-you | You → the other person, then you → the connector | Moves the connector to Bcc, proposes times, and later reports the outcome. |
Template 1: ask your contact for the introduction
Subject: Would you be comfortable introducing me to [name]?
Hi [contact], I am working on [product in one plain sentence]. I noticed you [how you know they know the person, for example worked together at Company or both spoke at Event].
I would like to ask [name] about [specific topic] for 20 minutes. I think they would find it worthwhile because [honest reason that matters to them, not to you].
If you know them well enough and it feels right, would you check whether they are open to an introduction? I have put a short note below that you can forward as it is. If it is not a good fit or the timing is wrong, no problem at all.
Thanks, [your name]
Template 2: the forwardable blurb
Write this in the third person so the connector can forward it without editing. Keep it to one short paragraph and a link.
[Your name] is the founder of [product], which helps [role] with [job]. [One line of credibility: a relevant past role, current customers or a working product people can try.] They would like 20 minutes with [name] to [specific ask, for example hear how their studio handles client invoicing today]. This is [a research conversation / a sales conversation / a fundraising conversation]. More: [one link].
- Say plainly what kind of conversation it is. Calling a sales call "research" spends the connector's trust.
- Name one specific ask and a time limit.
- Include one link, not a deck and three attachments.
- Leave out flattery the connector would not say themselves.
Template 3: the introduction email (when you are the connector)
Send this only after both people have agreed. Put both addresses in To.
Subject: Introduction: [name A] <> [name B]
[Name A], meet [name B]. [B] is [role] at [company] and [one relevant fact]. [Name B], meet [name A]. [A] is [role] and [one relevant fact].
[A] would like to [specific ask]. Both of you said you were happy to connect, so I will leave the next step to you. [A], over to you.
[Connector's name]
Templates 4 and 5: reply to the introduction and close the loop
Reply the same day if you can. Use Reply all, then move the connector to Bcc in that reply.
Thanks, [connector] (moving you to Bcc). [Name], good to meet you. As [connector] mentioned, I would value 20 minutes on [topic]. Would [two specific time slots with time zone] work, or is there a time that suits you better? [Your name]
After the conversation, close the loop with the connector:
Hi [connector], thank you again for introducing me to [name]. We spoke on [day]. The most useful thing I learned was [one specific point], and we agreed to [next step, or that it was not a fit]. I appreciate you making it happen. [Your name]
Adapt the ask by purpose
The structure stays the same; the honest reason and the size of the ask change. If you are recruiting people for customer research interviews, use the separate interview invitation templates linked below.
| Dimension | What you ask for | What the other person needs to know |
|---|---|---|
| Potential customer | A 20-minute call about how they handle [job] today, or a short demo if they already asked about the problem. | Whether it is a sales call, what problem you solve and what you have built so far. |
| Investor | A first call about your round. | Stage, traction stated accurately, the round you are raising and why this investor fits. Ask the connector first whether they are willing to recommend you, not only forward a note. |
| Partner or integration | A call to see whether your customers overlap. | Which of their customers your product helps and what a partnership would ask of them. |
| Advisor or expert | One specific question or a short call. | The decision you are trying to make and why their experience applies. |
Example: a filled-in ask (fictional)
Ledgerline is a fictional invoicing tool for small design studios, used only to show the templates filled in. The people and numbers are invented, and no result is implied.
The ask: "Hi Priya, I am building Ledgerline, which turns approved design deliverables into client invoices. You worked with Marco at Northfold Studio. I would like to ask him for 20 minutes about how the studio bills clients after a project is approved; he might find it useful to compare notes on what other studios do. If you know him well enough, would you check whether he is open to an introduction? A note you can forward is below. If the timing is wrong, no problem at all. Thanks, Sam"
The blurb: "Sam is the founder of Ledgerline, which helps design studios invoice clients once work is approved. Sam ran operations at a 30-person studio for four years and now has a working beta. Sam would like 20 minutes with Marco to hear how Northfold bills clients today. This is a research conversation, not a demo. More: ledgerline.example"
Track introductions as a small funnel
Log each request so you can see where introductions stall and who has helped you before. The figures below are fictional.
| Dimension | Count | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Introductions asked for | 12 | How many specific requests you made. |
| Blurb forwarded | 7 (58.3% of asks) | Whether your ask was clear and the connector was comfortable. |
| Other person agreed | 4 (57.1% of forwards) | Whether the blurb gave them a reason to say yes. |
| Conversation held | 3 (75.0% of agreements) | Whether you replied fast and made scheduling easy. |
| Loop closed with connector | 3 of 3 | Whether the people who helped know what happened. |
Mistakes that burn a connector
- Copying both people on an introduction before the other side has agreed.
- Sending a long blurb the connector has to rewrite before forwarding.
- Describing a sales pitch or fundraising call as "just picking your brain".
- Asking for several introductions in one message, or for "anyone you think could help".
- Replying days later, or leaving the connector in every reply of the thread.
- Adding the person to a newsletter or outreach sequence because they agreed to one conversation.
- Never telling the connector how it went.
Where Soloop fits
A warm introduction should come from your relationships and be written in your voice. According to the Soloop manual, Soloop can help around it: research a person's company and public work from sources it links, so your ask names an honest reason to talk; and send individual follow-up emails through your connected Gmail account, one message per recipient, within that account's permissions. Check the approval mode shown in your workspace before anything sends.
A bounded first request: I want an introduction to [role] at [company] through [contact]. Research [company] from public sources with links and suggest one specific, honest reason they might want a 20-minute conversation about [topic]. Do not contact anyone.
Check the current connections and steps in your workspace, because they can change.
Sources, limitations and refresh
The double opt-in practice is described in Fred Wilson's post of November 3, 2009, read on October 24, 2026. The templates, adaptations, example and log are original editorial guidance; they do not predict how many introductions will be accepted. Ledgerline, its people and its figures are fictional.
This guide will be reviewed by January 31, 2027.
Ask each person to opt in before making an introduction.
AVC (Fred Wilson)The Soloop manual describes research with source links and Gmail outreach through a connected account; it does not make introductions for you.
Soloop product manual