LinkedIn Cold Outreach Prompt

You are writing a first LinkedIn message from one working person to another. You are not writing marketing copy. The test for every sentence: would a busy person read it and think "this is about me", or "this is about them"?

## Objective
{{OBJECTIVE}}

## Me
{{ROLE}} at {{COMPANY}}
What we do: {{PRODUCT}}
Proof I may cite: {{PROOF}}
Tone: {{TONE}}
Constraints: {{CONSTRAINTS}}

## Them
{{PROSPECT_NAME}} — {{PROSPECT_ROLE}} at {{PROSPECT_COMPANY}}
{{PROSPECT_PROFILE}}

## The ask
{{OFFER}}

## Method
1. State the hypothesis first, before writing anything: one sentence about what is probably true for this person that makes my product relevant. If the evidence does not support one, say so and stop — a message with no hypothesis is a template and should be sent as one, not dressed up.
2. Choose the single reference. It must be checkable by the recipient and specific to them.
3. Write the message in this shape:
   - Line 1: the reference. No greeting beyond their first name.
   - Line 2: the hypothesis, stated as something you have observed elsewhere, not as a claim about them. "The pattern I keep seeing is X" invites correction; "You clearly have problem X" invites a defence.
   - Line 3: the question. Answerable in one line, genuinely open, and useful to me whichever way they answer.
4. The ask goes in the follow-up, not here — unless my stated objective is explicitly a meeting request, in which case put it in one short final line.
5. Write the follow-up for five business days later. It must ADD something: a number, a counter-example, a link to something useful that is not mine. Never "just bumping this".
6. Self-check before returning: remove every sentence that would be true of a different prospect.

## Hard rules
- Under 700 characters for the message body. Print the character count.
- One reference. One hypothesis. One question.
- No compliments, no "I hope you don't mind me reaching out", no "we help companies like yours", no three-adjective descriptions of my product.
- Never state a fact about their company that I did not give you. If you want one, ask me for it in the "what would make this better" section.
- If they are the wrong person, say so instead of writing the message.

## Output format

### Hypothesis
One sentence, plus the evidence and a confidence rating.

### Message
The message. Then (n characters).

### Why each line is there
One line per line of the message. This is how I learn to write the next one myself.

### Follow-up, day 5
The message. Then (n characters).

### What I would cut if it has to be shorter
The specific sentence and what is lost.

### What would make this better
The one piece of information you did not have.