🧃The Only Intros I’m Making (And Why You Might Not Get One)

No-BS guide to making intros that don’t make anyone cringe — with a plug-and-play template.

May 19, 2025

Intros are the unpaid, emotionally risky, reputation-defining labor of modern ✨networking✨.
One good one and you’re a legend.
One messy intro and suddenly you’re remembered not as helpful, but as the reason someone wasted a coffee, a call, and an hour they’ll never get back.

So here’s how to do referrals, recommendations, and intros without accidentally setting your own credibility on fire. (👇 Template at the very bottom)

Intro Red Flags 🚩

Here’s what not to do unless you want people to screenshot your email and send it to a friend with “???”

Adding people to a random WhatsApp group with zero context.
Just no. It's confusing, awkward, and makes people want to mute the conversation forever.
Forwarding someone's request or CV/pitch deck without context.
If you just drop a name or link into someone’s inbox with “thought you two should talk,” it feels lazy and transactional.
Over-intro-ing.
You don’t need to connect every founder to every investor you’ve ever met. Curation > quantity.

Quick reminder:

Being decent to people costs nothing.
People remember how you treat them — especially the ones you might ask for favors from later.

If you’d like a warm intro someday, maybe don’t ghost me after months of dating.
Or send me a pitch deck before asking “how are you.”

The only intro you’re getting is to my family WhatsApp group. 😉

But here’s the flip side:

I love connecting great people. 💛 Half my closest friends started out as “work contacts.” There’s something kind of magic about putting two sharp, kind humans in a (real or virtual) room and watching what happens.

So yes: be nice. But more importantly — be real.
The world’s smaller than you think. And the intros that matter? They come from trust, not strategy.

Every Connection Has a Return Address

A good intro gets to the point, shows you’ve thought it through, and makes everyone involved glad it happened.

Here’s e.g. when I actually make intros:

I genuinely believe these two could create something meaningful and enjoy working together.
I see a real fit between the founder and the fund — not just “they’re raising,” but values, stage, and alignment.
I’m confident my friend wouldn’t just get the job — they’d crush it.

Bottom line:
I’d work with them, invest in them, travel with them or back them publicly and privately — this goes for both sides.

If I can’t say “hell yes” to any of the above, I say no.
And yes, sometimes that means feeling like the fun police — but I’d rather protect the people I trust than end up as the cautionary tale.

True story:
I once referred someone for a role and they got hired. Two months later thw person got fired. It still haunts me — and made me even more conscious about intros.

What Makes a Great Intro Work

Double opt-in.
Always ask both sides before making the connection. No surprise CCs. It’s awkward and makes me feel cornered.
Context is everything.
Explain why they should meet and what the goal is.
Keep it short but warm.
A couple of sentences about each person is enough — highlight what they’re doing and why you think they’ll click.
Get out of the way.
Once you’ve made the intro, step back. Let them take it from there.

You want them to read the message and think:
“Oh cool, I get why this is happening — I really should meet this person.”

What It All Comes Down To

When you connect people with care, it shows.
When you don’t, it also shows — so make it intentional.

If this saves just one person from a cringe referral… I’ve done my job.

Here’s to a week of thoughtful intros, sharp connections, and zero random group chats.
Happy Monday — let’s goooooo! 🚀

— Constanze

No Gatekeeping — Just My Go-To Intro Template

Here’s how I actually write intros when they make sense:

Subject: Intro: [Name] × [Name] Connect

Email body:

Hi [Name 1], hi [Name 2],

Opening line ideas:

I don’t make a lot of intros — but this one feels obvious.
You’re both sharp, building with real intent, and I think you should know each other.
This connection makes so much sense, I’m slightly annoyed it hasn’t already happened.
Smart people tend to find each other — consider this me speeding up the process.
Like attracts like — and that’s exactly why I’m connecting you two.

That said, I genuinely believe this could be a great fit — both professionally and personally. So here’s why I’m reaching out:

Intro block #1:
Let me introduce [Name 1] — [short title/context, e.g., founder of X, investor at Y, etc.].
They’re currently working on [1-line what + why it matters].
I’ve known them since [brief context — how you met, invested, worked together, etc.], and [why you think they’re great + something personal].

Optional numbers / traction:

[Insert 1–3 proof points: ARR, growth, funding, PMF, team size, pitch deck, etc.]

Context for the intro:
[Why this is relevant to Name 2 — e.g., “they’re preparing for a Series A and are looking to connect with thoughtful investors in the space.”]

Intro block #2:
And this is why I’d also like to introduce [Name 2] — [role/title], [how you know them], and [why you think they’re great + something personal].

Closing options:

Bottom line: You two should definitely talk — also beyond fundraising.
Not trying to force anything — but if this goes somewhere, I won’t be surprised.
Worst case: a good chat. Best case: something real comes out of it.
Felt like one of those intros that could quietly end up mattering :)
Just two sharp people I’d love to see in the same room.

Let me know if helpful to stay looped — otherwise, I’ll leave it with you.

All the best,
Constanze