In 2014, a budding software engineer wanting to intern with Snapchat sent out a cold email to CEO Evan Spiegel. While the response to such unsolicited emails is usually low, Indian-origin techie Niraj Pant did receive a reply from Spiegel. What's more, he even connected Pant to the company's lead recruiter.
Sharing a screenshot of the email exchange on X, Pant, who is now a start-up co-founder said, "Found this old (egregious) email I sent to Evan Spiegel a few years back. Always shoot your shot!"
While Pant is yet to reveal whether the interaction led to a successful internship at Snapchat or not, the format of the email didn't just grab Evan Spiegel's attention in 2014, it has found admirers even now.
"Absolutely love this! Very well played for taking the shot, in the first place, and for being crisp and to the point in your email," commented Prof. Priya Narasimhan (@YinzcamPriya). "This shows how one needs to take chances in life. Rest will take shape," wrote X user Mitra Joshi (@mitrajo).
Other users, however, wondered if a similar email would get a similar response from any business leader or recruiter in 2024.
"This email may not get any responses in 2023-24. As communication trends shift, people are growing less responsive, making traditional cold emails less effective," said Mangesh Saraf (@mangy_s). "No proof of work link/image attached/mentioned. Just brevity of email is not enough," commented another user Himanshu Chhabra (@himanshu_seeker).
In a similar incident, Karnataka's tech entrepreneur recently recollected how a cold email to Zerodha co-founder and CEO Nithin Kamath, secured him the funds for start-up ImStrong.
In a thread, Kumar narrated how a simple act of reaching out led to a game-changing investment. "Most entrepreneurs feel asking for help is a sign of weakness. But my biggest realization is, it's actually a superpower," he said.
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