I Cold Emailed 25 Billionaires to Invest in My Startup

My startup, Stan, has recently picked up some major traction, and as I consider raising another round of funding, I figured it would be a helpful exercise to reach out to 25 billionaires and see how many of them I could get to invest!
Though this ended up being much more challenging than originally expected, it was super helpful for me, and my hope is that this video will provide you with the framework you need to begin your own cold emailing journey!
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Timestamps:
00:00 - The Gameplan
00:27 - Chamath Palihapitiya
01:34 - Zucc
02:39 - Kim Kardashian
04:24 - Robert Smith
06:51 - Patrick Collison
07:50 - Mr. Beast
08:49 - Taylor Swift
09:25 - Serena Williams
10:25 - Mark Cuban
12:03 - The Responses...
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Connect with me on LinkedIn: / johnghu
DM me on Instagram: / jayhoovy
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Want to start working for yourself?
Check out my company, Stan: stan.store/
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[@jayhoovy]

Hope y'all enjoyed!!! My mission is to give you a better business education than Harvard/Stanford, completely for free. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out! :)

[@TheBryantrav]

the most underrated youtube channel currently! Big congrats on getting that pitch!

[@matthines4507]

Would love to see content on how you respond to initial email, and communication between you and Chamath during the relationship

[@directorchris2]

Can I have teh emails? i make movies like Rush Hour

[@ZayFai]

That first email subject line is how i can recognize you're a pro at cold outreach. One of the first PM internships I applied to via email had the subject line 'Future [redacted] CEO' (it was a product they were launching) and got an interview even though I was way underqualified

[@jayhoovy]

Love it!!! The subject line can go a very long way!! Appreciate the support🙏

[@Greenyx4219]

@@jayhoovyhey man the knowledge is really cool but how can I pay that student debt like is the risk worth it? Getting 200k of student debt to maybe make a successful company I mean I like risks but I don’t play stupid games

[@mariiamilashenko9932]

Your cold emails are INSANELY brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing it for free on you KZbin - I saved your email examples to use at my startup 😍

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you so much for the kind words Mariia!!! Let me know if there's any other topics you want me to cover that could help you on your journey!

[@brianfagan8734]

Congrats on connecting with Chamath Palihapitiya! 👍🙌👍🙌. Looking forward to seeing the follow up video

[@jayhoovy]

Thanks Brian!! Follow up video coming soon :)

[@revl6151]

Chamath pumps and dumps spacs in the guise of being for the people lol

[@HelloWorld-hb7yt]

@@revl6151 haha. true... he pumped and dumped.

[@purantak1093]

I consume a lot of Content and this is one the BEST videos I have seen about businesses even thought it was just focused to get responses from the Billionaires it taught us a lot.

[@fxvolcedits]

I could listen to this man talking all day

[@dylantan872]

Incredibly happy for you John! Looking forward to waking up groggy from a nap and being granted the opportunity to pitch to you in the future as well!

[@LoganJacobson]

These videos have the perfect blend of entertainment and education. My favorite creator on KZbin. Keep em coming John!

[@jayhoovy]

This is exactly what I'm attempting to do, so this seriously means so much to me :) Thanks for the support Logan!! I'll keep em coming for ya😄

[@JanN1592]

Love your vid as always, super valuable showing your cold emailing process. hope to see Stan pop off 🎉

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you Jan! I really appreciate the support!!!

[@heres_2cents]

This is the most beautiful video on how to write cold emails, so many insights and takeaways from this. Thank you!

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you so much for the kind words! Seriously means so much to me! Let me know if there's any other topics you want me to make videos about!

[@heres_2cents]

@@jayhoovy Keep at it man, also remember to take care of yourself. Excited for more content!

[@skytsoi]

you are the man John, keep it up! being good at cold emailing is probably the most underrated skill that many successful founders have.

[@Faggamilarity]

Congrats from Korea! I have yet to see a piece of content that encompasses the process of writing a cold email as clearly and straightforward as you have Jay. You make it so approachable and less terrifying. Keep up the good work!

[@jayhoovy]

Appreciate the support!! I'm so glad it was helpful! Let me know if there's any other topics you want me to make videos about!

[@omarmkhateeb]

Legend. Loved that you documented this!

[@shaanp]

I watched the whole video and was very surprised this video only has 46K after finishing it. Keep uploading and you'll be big.

[@hehekienle]

Hey Jayhoovy, your content really inspires me. Thanks for the vid!

[@jayhoovy]

Thanks for the support!!! Let me know if there's any other topics you want me to make videos about!

[@rickyufv]

Man I am so happy for you!! It's been an incredible journey!

[@laurenericks0n]

Hey, John! New subscriber here👋🏼This video has incredible timing because I'm _literally_ getting ready to send out a bunch of cold emails to potential prospects (helping small, service-based biz owners to gain more visibility/engagement through content marketing). I loved seeing your phrasing and catchy subject lines. Keep up the good work!

[@jayhoovy]

Cheers Lauren! Excited for your journey - let me know how it goes!

[@GabrielCarusetta]

Wow, this is incredible. LOVE this as the concept for a video, it's inspiring me for what I can create on my own channel.

[@nzmanhdee6246]

Amazing! Following your journey and taking notes for a journey of my own after grad school.

[@jayhoovy]

Excited to see where your journey takes you! LMK how it goes!!

[@martinhopaour5744]

great vibe, intellegent and hard working, just subscribed

[@jayhoovy]

You're too kind :) Appreciate the support!

[@Christian-su1nx]

What a gem! Thanks for showing the journey, this is great stuff

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you Christian! Thanks for being a part of the journey :)

[@iamjesushusbands]

Brilliant stuff. I’m gonna start sending more cold emails. This was really insightful on how you compose the emails.

[@jayhoovy]

Glad this was helpful for ya Jésus!!! Best of luck!

[@SiraSam]

Love this kind of content so much, thanks for sharing it so much!

[@jayhoovy]

So glad you enjoyed :) Thanks for supporting!

[@georgekrax]

Forget the cap table. This guy is epic in writing emails and the subject lines 🤘

[@AdityaRaj-jd8ib]

Great tips for genuine personal connection-based emails! Thanks for sharing.

[@Itsmeyanlee]

I loved this so much!! I couldn't help but feel all the emotions with you!! I am so excited to watch Stan become the Big B!!!

[@jayhoovy]

Thanks for the support Yan!! Appreciate you being here for the journey :)

[@user-qb1iu2tx7x]

Always great to hear such top content. Kind regards from Germany, Michael

[@jayhoovy]

Appreciate the support Michael! Danke :)

[@MarketingHarry]

Generally the most inspiring/wholesome and educational video I’ve watched in a while. This video gave me the vibe of watching a version of Ryan Trahan but in a business context

[@jayhoovy]

HAHA! That was our inspiration Harry - Ryan is SUCH a great storyteller and SO clever and fun

[@Explaineverything21]

I am doing my project managment assignment listening to this and its helping me 😅😅 Thanks for this video

[@jayhoovy]

hahaha nice! Glad I could help :) Thanks for supporting

[@HopeMkunte]

The most underrated thing about your videos is how many startup founders are in your comments. What a Community of go getters getting inspired together.

[@wanacreate]

So exciting!! Good luck!

[@jayhoovy]

thank you!!! :)

[@chg4056]

Thanks for sharing, I should try more offers.

[@golden-mindset]

Dude so much value in just this vid

[@tomasbaron8465]

You are an inspiration Man. Thank you

[@jayhoovy]

That means so much to me Tomas! Thank you for supporting🙏

[@TheRandman12]

@jayhoovy Thank you for this! Truly inspiring. I'm 24 and like you, started and ran a startup after school but in the nuclear industry before coming back to grad school. Hoping to come back to startups but this time in software. Will keep watching these as I prep for that journey!

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you for supporting Mason!! Wishing you all the best on your journey! Let me know if there's any other topics you want me to make videos about!

[@MehdiMerai]

Love it! That's the way!

[@naaattie1]

Thanks for showing us how to write cold emails - and for other videos of yours as well! I’m a fan!

[@jayhoovy]

Thanks for the continued support!! :)

[@jonnguyen4607]

Lets go!! Chamath shouting out Stan on the All-In Podcast soon??! Also your channel is so inspiring and resourceful for early-stage entrepreneurs such-as myself. Wish you all the best and continued success.

[@jayhoovy]

hahaha that would be sick! Really appreciate the kind words Jon! Let me know if there's any other topics you want me to cover :)

[@thefullyfunctioningperson]

Love this!

[@JCif92]

That’s so dope congrats! Pretty soon you’ll have people in your inbox pitching you ;)

[@Billoybong2]

congratulations man, really inspiring! I just did my masters in entrepreneurship at UCL, and I watch your videos for inspiration. I've yet to muster up the courage to start my own business (after failing many times in the past) and still playing it safe working for rich people :') hopefully I can be like you someday

[@batesfaissa5656]

Yo, this video was incredibly inspiring! Keep up the good work man

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you!!! Seriously means a lot to me :)

[@bluesky-hs6jv]

Thank You for this video, it recharged me in continuing on the journey of entrepreneurship. I own a small food business in NY and I wanted to start a fund to buy similar businesses. I have never tried or done anything close to trying to raise a fund. But with hope, humility and courage, I am running towards my dream. Thank You

[@jayhoovy]

Heck ya! I believe in you!!

[@TheUntitledSimmer]

This is so inspiring- thank you 😊

[@jayhoovy]

Thank YOU for watching :)

[@theShadeslayer]

Unrelated, but I love the way you style your hair!

[@johnfrancke1943]

This reminds me of that book “The Third Door”

[@carL-ln8rl]

15:22, I love the message!

[@gellirollz]

This is an amazing idea you showed what you sent them, and told them what gave you this idea to connect with them ( video or message they said) and yes I love this ❤

[@jayhoovy]

Glad you enjoyed Angelica! Let me know if there's any other topics you want me to make videos about!

[@BongShlong]

I thought this was going to be a vain and out of touch video but it was actually hella inspiring. Even if one doesn't have the goldman Stanford creds, you can use the same research and Charme tactics to get more reachable people interested. It might be a local tradesman, a business owner, KZbinr or a mega Corp executive you want to reach - the formula is always the same. Short, relevant, respectful and a lot of them.

[@jayhoovy]

Appreciate you saying that!!! You're totally right, regardless of who it is, it's all the same formula :)

[@matthines4507]

Would love to see content on how you respond to initial email, and communication between you and Chamath during the relationship

[@georgekrax]

Thank you for sharing!

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you for supporting! :)

[@timiade8804]

This is crazy. You really are changing the game. You don't know it yet, but you are!

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you tswizzle !! This seriously means a lot to me🙏

[@oni5909]

@@jayhoovy can i still work for you lol

[@FoolishFounder]

Straight gold.

[@pds_37]

i absolutely love your videos

[@benjamincouture7224]

Love the grit! I'm sure you'll crush the pitch

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you Benjamin!!! Currently prepping📝

[@mariiamilashenko9932]

Also your post-nap reaction to Chamath's response is HILARIOUS haha. Thanks for posting the reality behind your business, Jay :)

[@jayhoovy]

Hahhaahah thank you! I knew it would be too good not to film

[@rahuldmello9668]

Good luck, John!

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you Rahul!!!

[@5Bazile5]

Fun to watch, interesting and inspiring. Question: why didn’t you put next steps for closing, CTA, at the end of the email?

[@useydkerimoglu5720]

love your videos

[@haille2282]

lets goooo - loved this one!!

[@jayhoovy]

ty Haille for being my biggest fan 😜

[@nicolasdemay590]

It’s crazy that you’re giving us all of this content for free! Keep crushing it, man.

[@jayhoovy]

Appreciate it Nicolas! Will do :)

[@BakaTremz]

Nice one! Congrats! A heads up before you pitch - its tee-ya not ti-ya 😄love your content and good luck!!

[@jayhoovy]

You're a life saver Tremaine! Thanks for catching that, and thanks for your support!!!

[@EcomCarl]

Stan's journey with his startup is incredibly inspiring! 🔥 It's a testament to persistence and vision, showcasing how strategic outreach to key influencers can lead to substantial growth and success in the entrepreneurial landscape.

[@theadventures5564]

Hi really inspiring content! Learned a lot! A question, how do you manage to get all the potential customers' emails to DM them? Any suggestions?

[@upsidedownChad]

Yooooooooooo Chamath knows what's best 🔥

[@englishroadcapital]

I think you and Chamath will make a good team! 🙏🏽

[@rapid7956]

crazy ending w vid

[@noori770]

We need the negotiations to be on the All-In podcast

[@stevenphung]

Epic ending. lets goooo

[@richardzheng2805]

Jay…you’re such a natural entertainer LOL

[@emmanuelorilade2025]

Just do it! ❤

[@anayupadhyay4377]

Congrats Bro, on Stan and connecting with Chamath Palihapitiya!

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you Anay!!!

[@justinjaewon]

Go John and Stan! Update us on how everything goes. Keep cooking! 🧑‍🍳

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you sir!!! I'll keep you posted!

[@RealAnriDavid]

This is sweet content🎉

[@AbhiWaliaTheRacer]

Love your content! Amazing cold email writing skills. My curiosity still is about where did you get Chamath's email?

[@jayhoovy]

You can pretty much brute force guess anyone's email based off their company domain!

[@AbhiWaliaTheRacer]

​@@jayhoovy Definitely! Have done that in Sales roles during Uni. Will keep hustling and building! I have only one Influencer Subscription and that's you, all the other few are channels. Says a lot about what you've built here

[@Calvbread]

Is there any tips you would recommend for cold-reaching? Thanks for the vid :(

[@reiniervaneijk]

Brooooother this video was really cool😁✌️

[@reiniervaneijk]

Plus, I'm going to comment on each video that you're frckn killing it and going to make this beyond billions bro👀😁

[@jayhoovy]

Thank you brother☝

[@adityainduri5542]

Hey John, thanks for putting this video out! Really interesting to see your emails, but I'm also curious, how long did it take you to draft those? (Was it as fast as shown in the video!!!)

[@jayhoovy]

Thanks for supporting!! There was definitely some editing to cut some pauses, but overall this was mostly real time! There were a few folks I emailed off camera who took quite a bit longer. It just depends on how much you know about the person, what you plan to say, etc.

[@adityainduri5542]

​@@jayhoovy Insane!! Appreciate the answer, and inspiring to see your journey and the realistic look into startups. Hope to follow along as Stan becomes a Unicorn!

[@QuentinNorris-gt6fb]

Mark understood what you meant perfectly

[@SigmaShorts911]

Had a feeling Chamath would be the one to respond positively.

[@bridgeiron4435]

Hi Jay! I'm a highschool student and passionate about starting a non-profit organization. It would be extremely helpful to me and potentially your viewers as well if you created a video talking about advice and the steps of starting a non-profit. No worries if you cannot pull through!

[@jordanschlotterbeck6884]

Why’d you delete “I’m bad at tennis but good at business?” For Serena? Felt authentic.

[@rafaelrahm7262]

Did you used to have long hair back at Goldman as well?

[@willl6551]

Lol, definitely experienced being a bit too cheeky during cold outreach etc. not everything will land all the time!

[@ssj4rit]

Weirdest question but were you in Mountain View today? (Specifically Castro street lol)

[@DaveNash]

LETS GOOO

[@jayhoovy]

YESSIRRRR

[@AntonKamakin]

Congrats from Sweden!! Maybe I should cold email you, John, about something stanteresting (bad joke)?

[@viniciusyan2796]

🔥🔥

[@joselourenco8885]

You should try Ryan Reynolds for sure!!!

[@casasdenick]

I’ve ended up at a lot of tables I had no business being at simply by “shooting my shot” when others didn’t. Take the chance, the worst they can say is no 💯

[@DanYosua]

Sending cold email is humbling as hell 😅

[@rathgrams]

Let’s goooooooo

[@cruzozari6459]

'you dont wanna invest in a company thats growing a ton but its burning a ton of cash too' try telling that to masayoshi son 🤣

[@FitiMilele]

Darn, if this sells for multiple billions, this is gonna be a painful video for those who passed lol... And I feel you will actually end up doing it. You have the special ingredient

[@jayhoovy]

hahaha I didn't even think about that! It'll be super cool looking back at this in a few years! Really appreciate the kind words Simon :)

[@Steven710724]

What a talented virgin...im following👍

[@user-zx1jp6lf5m]

Спасибо Диме Филонову за ответ Чамата

[@snoopdogg4892]

Part 2?

[@natekryn9840]

Jay, I've helped small businesses sell $1.1M in a single day leveraging a digital payment terminal. What are your top priorities, as you and guys like Chaimuth, keep redefining your business. What's the next plateau, and are you happy with it? Do you or I, need to agree.

[@Drbeastx66]

🔑Take Always put your value free work out connect their story or effort Have a number

[@orekihotarou8200]

W

[@jayhoovy]

W