Why outbound email
It's free, proven, and can generate quick results with relatively small amounts of work. Any founder can find the details of potential customers (known as lead sourcing), and reach out over email or direct messaging.
Why not outbound email
Many early-stage founders worry this type of outreach can be tacky or spammy, but if you truly believe in the solution that your business provides, consider your outreach to be helpful to the recipient.
How to get it to work
The key is not to send a sales message but instead, build a relationship, start a conversation, or make a small 'ask' with highly personalized emails. Over time, you can increase the ask into a request to try out your product demo. For startups in their early stages, remember that it's more important to listen than to talk.
Start with your existing network and their contacts to get the best response.