If you’ve ever felt like you’ve pitched every investor you know and there’s no one left to reach out to — you’re not alone.

Almost every founder hits that moment where it feels like their network is “tapped out.”

The truth? It’s usually not.

Most of us stop too early. We think we’ve exhausted our options when, in reality, there are hundreds of second-degree connections sitting quietly in our extended LinkedIn graph just waiting to be discovered.

Chris Howard has raised 15 rounds in his career, and his advice is simple — use LinkedIn Sales Navigator. It’s the most underrated tool founders ignore when they’re raising.

Yes, it’s pricey. But there are ways around that:

💡 You can often get free trials or even access through an accelerator — and there are plenty of online “hacks” for getting Premium free for a year.

Once you’re in, start with your most significant connections — people who are well-connected, respected, or already in the startup scene.

Use them as your first-degree filter to search for everyone they know in venture capital or private equity.

You’re basically building a map of who you could reach through people you already know.

You’ll probably get a few hundred names in your search. That’s fine — it’s a good sign.

Now filter further:

That’s your warm outreach list — people you can be introduced to through trust.

Now it’s time to reach out to your connection and say something like:

That’s it.

No pressure, no spam, and — most importantly — it respects their relationship with those investors.

This is what’s called a double opt-in introduction.

Your connection checks with the investor first (“Hey, would you like an intro to Vasily?”), and only if they say yes, they connect you.

This keeps everyone’s inbox clean and your reputation intact.

Because you’re borrowing social capital.

Instead of cold emailing strangers, you’re getting a warm intro through trust.

And here’s the best part — it works every time.

Chris says he’s done this for every single fundraise he’s ever run, and it’s never failed to generate new opportunities.

So before you tell yourself “I’ve run out of investors to pitch,” ask yourself — have you really, or have you just not mapped your second-degree network yet?

Okay, now that you’ve found who you want to meet — let’s talk about how to get introduced the right way.

We’ve all been on the receiving end of those long, awkward emails that someone clearly expects us to forward.

Don’t be that person.

Here’s how to write a forwardable email your connection wants to send.

Your first line is the most important.

Make it sound like the introduction idea came naturally from your conversation — not like you’ve been stalking their LinkedIn.

Example:

Even if the conversation didn’t literally happen that way, it’s fine — as long as it feels natural and authentic.

The point is to signal warmth and relevance, not robotic sales outreach.

You want to make your connection’s job effortless.

Add something like:

That’s the double opt-in part — you’re giving them a script, and they get to ask permission before looping you in.

This is the mini pitch that gives context.

Keep it short enough to fit on a phone screen.

If you’re fundraising:

If it’s for partnerships, clients, or advisors, tailor it accordingly.

Focus on what’s interesting and specific, not generic buzzwords.

Chris’s golden rule:

Don’t over-sanitize it. Be human.

Chris ends his emails with a casual line or two that sound like him — slightly chaotic, funny, and real.

It shows confidence without arrogance.

And if you accidentally swear in your message? It’s fine.

Authenticity beats perfection every time.

We live in a world where everyone’s inbox is full of spammy “Hi, I saw your profile…” messages.

A double opt-in cuts through that noise.

It says: “I’m not trying to go around your relationships. I’m respecting them.”

It’s cleaner, it protects everyone’s reputation, and it’s 10x more effective than cold outreach.

Think of it as networking etiquette meets fundraising psychology.

Building an investor network isn’t about volume — it’s about trust and reputation.

One good introduction can lead to a chain of ten others.

Most founders think they need to “find new investors.”

In reality, they just need to activate the network they already have, the right way.

Start with your current contacts, use Sales Navigator to map second-degree investors, write a clean double opt-in email, and you’ll find your reach expanding much faster than you think.

Fundraising is hard, yes — but it’s also a numbers game built on relationships.

And relationships grow when you respect people’s time and make it easy for them to help you.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve hit that wall where it feels like your network is too small — try this process before giving up.

It’s one of those things that feels slow at first but compounds over time.

And if you really want to test it out, grab a coffee, open LinkedIn, and start mapping your 2nd-degree connections.

Chances are, you’re just one well-written double opt-in away from your next investor meeting.

✅ If this hit home, pass it on — there’s probably a founder in your circle who thinks they’ve already pitched every investor out there. And drop a comment if you’ve tried the double opt-in approach — the more we share what actually works, the easier fundraising becomes for everyone.

(👉 Vote now — we’ll share the results in next week’s issue. All votes are anonymous.)

(Last week’s poll results)

👉 What’s really holding your startup back right now?