HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Hunt the Right List

Hunt the Right List is a cold outreach tactic for getting your first users: Win on targeting before copy: scrape and segment precisely so you're emailing people whose exact problem you solve.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS and Dev tools / technical teams, and works especially well for B2B SaaS, dev tools, niche services. As a cold outreach play, plan for medium effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 4 linked primary sources.

Cold outreachMedium effortSlow

Why does cold outreach work for this?

Identical messaging can produce wildly different reply rates depending only on who receives it; one well-chosen segment routinely generates the majority of total pipeline value from a small slice of sends. Audience is the highest-leverage variable.

The exact steps (5)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

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Sources

Works for
B2B SaaSDev tools / technical

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Hunt the Right List" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS and Dev tools / technical — pick it when your product looks like one of those, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Hunt the Right List" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 4 primary sources — real founder write-ups and interviews, not generic advice. They are linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original accounts yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is medium effort, and results tend to be slow.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via Cold Outreach Strategy playbook and Freshschools case study, is in the paid library.

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