TLDR Lean, manual outbound outperforms database-driven outreach, driving about 13M ARR in 36 months on a $3k/month, five-person team in the Philippines. They skipped Apollo/ZoomInfo, built fresh 3–5-contact company lists via BuiltWith, SimilarWeb, and LinkedIn, verified emails with Scrap/Hunter, and used a multi-channel Gmail sequence plus RB2B to feed outreach. Today, response rates are lower than in 2020–21, so the playbook emphasizes multi-domain sending, lightweight automation that preserves a human touch, ongoing manual list-building, and stronger organic LinkedIn for ABM.
Step 1 — Define your ICP and target accounts with precise signals
Identify target companies by signal-rich criteria: use BuiltWith to locate Shopify stores that run complementary software like Klaviyo or Attentive, then verify traffic with SimilarWeb and focus on Shopify Plus sites with more than 10,000 monthly visitors. For each company, specify 3–5 decision-makers to reach (CEO, VP Marketing, Head of E‑commerce, Email Marketing Manager, Director of Growth) and compile fresh contacts rather than buying generic lists. This targeted approach improves relevance, deliverability, and response rates by avoiding low-potential accounts. By starting with precise tech-stack and traffic signals, you create a pipeline that's easier to convert and scalable.
Step 2 — Build high‑quality, verifiable contact lists manually
From each target account, identify 3–5 relevant people and collect multiple contacts for outreach. Begin with LinkedIn to locate email addresses, then verify deliverability with tools like Scrap.io or Hunter, using a two‑tool verification approach for higher reliability. Copy multiple contacts into a single outreach thread to boost open rates across channels. If no email is found, move on to the next contact to keep the outreach efficient. This manual, care-forward approach yields higher deliverability than relying on generic databases.
Step 3 — Create a value‑driven multi‑channel outreach sequence
Design a sequence that blends LinkedIn and email to maximize engagement. Start with a one-line, pitch‑free connection request, then send a value message after acceptance that cites ROI and relevant case studies (for example, Vital Proteins). Follow with a three‑message drip: a quick reminder, a concrete offer, and a final ask, stopping after the third message. Emphasize ROI and tangible value early to increase responses, while acknowledging privacy changes that affect cold outreach. The multi‑channel approach helps maintain relevance even as platform dynamics evolve.
Step 4 — Run a lean, remote, repeatable team and process
Operate with a small, geographically distributed team to maximize cost efficiency. A five‑person team in the Philippines can cover lead generation and prospecting for around $3,000 per month, with roles allocated to team leadership and shift workers. The process is intentionally repeatable: identify companies, find 3–5 LinkedIn contacts, verify emails, send the first email, and follow up multiple times. This structure demonstrates that high‑impact outbound can be far cheaper than traditional US‑based BDRs while maintaining scale.
Step 5 — Leverage website visitor intelligence to fuel outreach
Install RB2B (RBDB) on your site to identify visitors from your ideal customer profile. RB2B can push LinkedIn profiles of these visitors to Slack, enabling rapid addition to outbound sequences. This real-time intent data surfaces high‑value prospects and supports a tighter ABM workflow. The approach is framed as essential for today’s ABM, with a free trial and a walkthrough video that explains the exact cold email system and how to apply it to your funnel.
Step 6 — Adapt ABM for today: balance deliverability, automation, and personal branding
To stay effective, continue manual list-building for deliverable emails while using automation to scale the routine steps. Avoid sending from your primary domain by using multiple sending domains to protect sender reputation, and employ tools like Instantly or Smart Lead Sequencers to automate while preserving a human touch. Lean into organic LinkedIn content to build a personal brand that supports outbound success. The overall strategy blends precise targeting, authentic outreach, and scalable workflows to maintain ROI in a changing landscape.
How did Get Emails grow a zero-start SaaS to about 13M ARR with a lean team?
They built it from zero to roughly 13M ARR using a lean, five-person team in the Philippines and about $3k per month in costs, focusing on manual list-building rather than expensive databases to boost deliverability and response.
Why did co-founder Diana argue against using databases like Apollo and ZoomInfo?
She argued those databases produce generic lists with terrible deliverability, so their approach prioritized fresh, manually researched contacts.
How did they identify target companies and contacts?
They used BuiltWith to find Shopify stores with complementary apps, verified traffic with SimilarWeb, targeted Shopify Plus sites with over 10,000 monthly visitors, and then identified 3–5 relevant contacts per company (CEO, VP Marketing, Head of E‑commerce, etc.).
How did they verify emails and assemble outreach?
They sourced emails via LinkedIn first, then verified with Scrap.io or Hunter; if neither had an email, they moved on, using two-tool verification for deliverability.
What is RB2B and how was it used?
RB2B was installed to identify ICP visitors on their site; it sends LinkedIn profiles to Slack so those contacts can be added to outreach, supposedly increasing conversions.
What did Step 4 entail in their process?
Step 4 involved entirely manual emailing from Gmail accounts with multiple sender personas and variations to keep interactions human and deliverability high.
What was their best-performing outreach sequence?
A direct ROI-focused value proposition (citing case studies like Vital Proteins), followed by a gentle reminder, a problem agitator about Apple privacy changes, and a final summary email with ROI and a case study.
What was the team structure and cost?
Five people in the Philippines; Jim as the team leader at $1,000 per month and four teammates at $500 each, totaling about $3,000 per month.
What is the three-step LinkedIn sequence in their ABM approach?
A one-sentence connection request with no pitch; a value message after acceptance; and a three-message drip (quick reminder, concrete offer, final ask) that stops after three messages.
How can one adapt this approach today given lower response rates?
Continue manual list-building for deliverable emails, avoid sending from the primary domain by using multiple sending domains, use automation tools like Instantly or Smart Lead Sequencers to scale while keeping a personal touch, lean into organic LinkedIn content, and use RB2B on your site to identify visitors and feed profiles to Slack.
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