Enrique GoudetAug 2, 2026Signal Based Outbound for Founders
So what does signal based outbound actually mean, and how can you implement it in your outbound motion?
2 min read
Signal based outbound is just a fancy way of saying: reach out to people who have already indicated, in some way or another, that they are interested in a topic relevant to your niche.
Say you sell to early stage AI founders who are starting their outbound motion.
The traditional starting point is a list. You pull every YC or a16z speedrun company from the latest batch, you reach out, and hope you catch someone at the right moment with the right message.
Signal based outbound moves the starting point. Instead of an ICP list, you start with the people who've already shown interest. For example, you pull the LinkedIn and X followers of a competitor in your space.
There's one caveat though: not everyone who follows these companies is relevant to your business.
So you go through each person and check: does this person satisfy my ICP requirements, yes or no? If they do, they move to the next step.
Once you have a list of qualified people who follow your competitor, the next step is to write the sequence you'll send them.
A sequence is just a set of messages you send to each person, because you can't expect someone to reply the first time you reach out. People are busy. They'll read your message, get distracted, and move on to the next thing.
So send at least two more follow-ups, and make each one carry new information or additional value. That way you're far more likely to get a response.
Here's the shape of a good sequence to send someone who follows a competitor. Fill in the brackets with your own product and market:
Message #1
The signal decided who gets this message. Open with them, one line on you, then a small ask.
Hey {{prospect_first_name}} - saw you're working on {{their_focus}} at {{company_name}}.
We're {{your_credibility_marker}} helping {{who_you_serve}} {{what_you_do}}.
I'd love to exchange notes and see how you guys approach {{their_focus}}. Open to chat in the coming week or two?
Message #2
Prove you're real, then make the ask small.
We've helped {{recognizable_customer}} {{concrete_outcome}}.
I also have {{specific_thing_you_built}} for {{company_name}} - worth a look?
Message #3
Give them permission to say no, and leave something useful either way.
No worries if now isn't the right time, {{prospect_first_name}}.
Want me to send over {{genuinely_useful_resource}} we put together for folks in the space? Just reply "yes"
Then send the sequence via LinkedIn/email (ideally both) and you're off to the races.
Now, doing all of this by hand is very time-consuming. So let me show you how to run the whole process through Cluster.
Give it a spin here.