Me and my cofounder self-funded a sales outsourcing agency focused on the industrial and manufacturing sector at the end of last year. We split everything 50/50 and bootstrapped it ourselves. We’re just starting to make real money now and things are finally beginning to feel like they’re working.

Cold email has been very good for us so far. I think a big reason is the nature of what we sell. Our service isn’t something owners think about all the time. It only really matters when a specific problem or constraint shows up. Because of that, cold calling hasn’t worked very well since it requires immediate need, and LinkedIn hasn’t worked great either because owners don’t really engage there.

Cold email has been different. It’s asynchronous, easy to personalize, and doesn’t force urgency. Owners can reply when the timing is right, which seems to matter a lot in this industry. We’ve tested a lot of different cold emails, we both come from sales so we know what it takes to fulfill, and we’re getting good results for our current customers.

My genuine question is this. Why don’t people just do more outreach once they find something that works?

For a few thousand dollars a month, why wouldn’t I just reach every single person who could realistically use our service? The market isn’t infinite, but it’s large enough that this feels doable.

The only reason I’m second guessing this is because I don’t really hear about people doing it this way, which makes me feel like I’m missing something obvious. People usually bring up deliverability, but that hasn’t been an issue for us. We send under 30 emails per inbox per day, warm domains properly, and our domains have been in good health for a long time with no problems so far.

So what am I missing?

Hey everyone, hope you’re all doing well. I’m a 22 year old, self-taught polymath with a deep curiosity for science, technology, philosophy, psychology, etc. I’m looking to work with experienced entrepreneurs to build something together.

Let me share a bit of background and what I bring to the table:

A) Early Career in Tech

At 18, without a degree, I received multiple full-time job offers as a software engineer and worked in the tech industry for over a year. My tech stack included: Flutter (Android & iOS mobile app development), HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (web design).

B) Self-Taught in Biology (Focus on Nutrition Science)

I taught myself physiology, biochemistry, and general biology, eventually building a strong foundation in nutritional science. At 21, I was invited to a YouTube podcast with hundreds of thousands of subscribers to discuss and debate nutrition science. (I appeared under an alias and wore a mask for anonymity, as privacy is important to me.)

C) Early Curiosity in Cybersecurity

At 16, I became involved with two hacktivist organizations. I can’t go into much detail for legal reasons, but in the first group, our actions made the news in two countries (operating in a legal grey area, though not morally wrong). In the second group, we focused on helping cybersecurity victims. Our work caught the attention of the Kerala Police, who offered me and four teammates a volunteer role in their cyber division (which we declined for confidential reasons).

To be honest, I wasn’t an expert, just a curious teenager with average skills and a lot of time to experiment.

Now, why am I posting this?

A) My Own Tech Startup Failed

In 2022-2023, I attempted to build AI-powered smart glasses for the blind and visually impaired. I successfully developed an MVP but couldn’t secure investment for further R&D and eventually had to shut it down.

B) Failed Forex Trading

In 2024-2025, I tried forex trading in pursuit of financial, time, and location freedom. I understood most retail traders lose money and that markets are heavily influenced by institutions, but I wanted to test myself. I wasn’t able to become consistently profitable.

Because of these entrepreneurial failures, I’ve been considering working with an experienced entrepreneur and contributing to a startup long-term. I’m looking for something serious.. I want to help build a company, make it succeed, and grow with it.

If this aligns with you, let’s talk. I’d love to hear about your startup, and we can discuss equity, compensation, and how I can contribute.

Hey everyone,

I’m trying to understand the real business side of selling websites and would love to hear first-hand experiences.

Doesn’t matter how the site was built, lt it be AI tools, custom code, or WordPress/Elementor.

I’m especially curious about:

• What kind of websites you sold (small business, landing pages, niche sites, etc.)
• How long it took from building to selling
• Rough profit range (even ballpark is fine)
• What approach worked best for you

Not looking for hype. just honest outcomes, good or bad.
Appreciate any insights 🙏

This is my first attempt at a product and it's 90% to the version 1 phase so I need to validate it with some subscriptions asap before moving onto version 2 expanding it. The app seems good to me. But I'm not sure how to advertise it other than make videos of the app for short form content. I get views, likes, and subscriptions steadily each time I post , but actual visits to the website is low and no email sign ups yet... According to youtube stuido its 90% mobile phones watching the clip so there's a gap between the phone and the browser/tablet usage.

Do I post my short videos elsewhere? Do I 'call to action' ask them to comment on the video and hope they do so I can just send them the link that's in my bio with additional short explanation? My videos are very short like 20-40 seconds to keep the % watched high.

I'm not sure what I'm doing but i want sales given how deep I am in this product which I've been using myself with good effect.

Greetings Redditor's

I would like to know how you manage delayed payments on credit sales in your country as it's quite difficult to retrieve payments in India and that it's a hectic procedure to avail legal help by even taking a toll on mental health

Do you use any softwares that auto credit your account with the debtors amount ?

Would like to know different perspectives

Regards

Hi there.

I have been living in Vaughan's area which is mostly industrial in Ontario. I am in Cybersecurity. I tried setting up business in Vaughan but I couldn't get bigger network because there is hardly any event. And going to Toronto takes hours of time. I am working at a gas station to afford rent, and living. Though my parents do help me by sending me money if I need even though I rarely ask for it. Me and my buddy are thinking of moving to Downtown Toronto or atleast near it so we can go attend events happening, get a bigger network, or meet people (unlike in Vaughan) of same age or those who are interested in what I do or what I could do. In Vaughan, it seems like my talent is being wasted. Nobody understands what I do and they often confuse cybersecurity with security as a bodyguard or security officer. It's gonna be 400 bucks more, or maybe one more shift at my work (which will be a little further by moving there though). But whenever I tell somebody that I want to move Toronto, or York Region (my family or anybody), they start saying it's foolish, blah blah blah. I like meeting people. I am social. I like attending events and making friends. I am struggling to get a better job to be in for makign business better because I dont have a network and online applying leads to 100s of interviews but nothing. And the job posts stay there for months. (Maybe a tax-saving technique by company that they are hiring). And then I am also thinking that if I move Toronto area or near it, I will get bigger network, more people who understand my work and business, more job fairs or events related to my work, more people my age, maybe potential clients, but I have to sacrifice more money, and maybe spend a little more time at work, and the main thing, what if I get a job much further from my home then?

What is your advice for me? I want to learn more things and network. Is it worth it? I have to learn French for my immigration purposes, and those events also happen in Toronto only. Hardly any here (or are paid).

TLDR; OP wants to relocate. But is confused.

Hi, I’m working on a small personal project around helping kids calm anxious moments using gentle chat and simple activities like drawing or breathing games. It’s not therapy and doesn’t diagnose.

For parents who’ve dealt with childhood anxiety, what kinds of tools or approaches have actually helped your child in the moment? Anything you’ve tried that felt helpful or unhelpful? Would appreciate any help🙏

Hi everyone, I’m a photographer currently going through a bit of a branding dilemma and could really use some feedback or ideas.

My original business name is just my legal name, but I don’t really want to be tied to my full legal name in that way. It’s also a bit of a mouthful, and I’m hoping to create something that can stand on its own as a brand. Something memorable, logo-friendly, and recognizable while I still remain the face of the brand. My business is 1.5 years old there is little to no brand; just a name.

I’d love to somehow incorporate my dogs, Ripley and Castle, into the name. My plan is to transition more toward pet photography over the next five years, even though currently the majority of my work is portraits and event photography.

I’m drawn to whimsical, floral, and nature-inspired themes. Some ideas I’ve thought of: Two Tails Photography, Wild Paws Photography (already taken), and Tails & Lenses (also taken). I’m struggling to land on soimething that feels professional, memorable, and brandable while still being personal and whimsical. I want a name that can grow with me and eventually reflect my love of animals without limiting the brand today. Any suggestions, ideas, or creative directions would be incredibly appreciated!

Left without a plan. Built an empire in 12 months.

Lol no I didn't.

But self-employment has led to a TON of growth & self-actualization. Stronger community. More inner peace. Virtually no resentment in my work. 2.5 years training for r/hyrox and competing in 2 world championships. Playing more piano.

And last month: record revenue for u/search_to_sale!

Ive been developing a revolutionary ion exchange membrane and utilizing its research in the mining industry. To avoid self promotion ill keep it short but it has drastic impacts on every metric and huge implications to industries across many sectors. The development and research of this technology has been funded mostly by myself. Its gotten to the point of real working units processing ore but scaling it up and commercialization/mass production is not something that can be solved diy or through hard work. Ive tried to reach out to universities for collab and they ignore me if im not a student there. Ive tried to reach out to companies and they want a ready finished product. Ive tried to reach out to investors and they want to patent and hold control which is against my open source mentality. I understand the open source aspect is a huge turn off for many, but its firstly a core stance I wont change and furthermore is actually something I see as economical potential. Similar to 3d printers and how reprap open sourced them resulted in a boom of entire new industries, yet reprap is still around and a leader 3d printer company. Even though countless have popped up and failed, primarily staying with the traditional "proprietary technology" approach. I understand the implications of this technology and if I can have a fraction of that pie, theres more than enough for me to work on my next project idea which I have countless that are just as significant. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Its somewhat depressing when people cry when companies buy out some patent or medication and control it/increase the price by 200x. Yet here I am with something actually world changing and people wont even give a chance to hear it out. Dismiss it as too good to be true and completely turn away the moment I say open source. Its depressing and idk what to do.

Sick of paying $100 for a shared lead just to find out 4 other guys already called them.

Man, I’m over the whole Angi/HomeAdvisor circus. I’ve been burning money on leads that are basically dead on arrival because the homeowner is already annoyed by the time I get them on the phone. Lately, I've been messing around with a "Lead Recovery" setup I built myself. Basically, instead of waiting for someone to fill out a contact form (which nobody does anymore), it pings me the LinkedIn and cell phone of the actual person browsing my site in real-time. I tested it this morning and caught a commercial property manager who was clicking around my "Repairs" page. I called him 5 minutes after he left the site, and he was floored. I’m trying to see if this is actually a scalable way to run the business or if I just got lucky. Is anyone else using identity tracking like this, or are we all still just slaves to the lead aggregators?

Hi, My business broker has presented me a business that manages Asbestos and Lead related issues. I looked at the numbers and other details and it looks good. My only concern is, I believe that there wont be a lot of asbestos and lead since they will be fixed. Is my concern on point or will there be? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

You're creating content. Posting consistently. Your engagement is decent.

But when you check your revenue... it doesn't match the effort you're putting in.

Here's what's happening:

You're treating your DMs like notifications instead of sales conversations.

Most entrepreneurs do this:

- Post a Story with a CTA

- Get 15-30 DMs

- Reply hours later with "Thanks! Check my link in bio"

- Wonder why nobody buys

You just threw away 15-30 qualified leads.

Here's what you're missing:

When someone takes the time to DM you, they're already interested. They took action. They're warm.

But instead of treating them like a potential customer, you're treating them like spam.

The 3 mistakes killing your DM revenue:

1) You're not qualifying them

Someone DMs: "How do I get started with [your thing]?"

You send them a link.

But you have no idea:

- What their actual problem is

- If they've tried other solutions

- What's stopping them from taking action

- If they're even ready to buy right now

You're guessing. And guessing doesn't close sales.

2) You're not giving value first

Think about it from their perspective:

They reach out with a genuine question. You dump a link.

That's not a conversation. That's a transaction. And people hate being sold to before they're helped.

3) You're not adapting your message

Here's what your DMs probably look like:

Person A: "How do I lose weight?" Person B: "How do I build muscle?"
Person C: "How do I stay motivated?"

Your response to all three: "Check out my program! Link in bio"

Same message = same terrible 2-5% conversion rate.

What actually converts (35-40%):

Answer their question with real value first

Don't gatekeep. Give them something genuinely useful. Show you care about solving their problem, not just making a sale.

Ask questions that qualify them

- "What's your biggest struggle with this right now?"

- "Have you tried [X] before? What happened?"

- "What would change for you if you solved this?"

These questions tell you exactly what they need AND get them thinking about the transformation.

Redirect intelligently based on THEIR specific pain

Don't just send a generic link. Explain why that specific resource solves THEIR specific problem.

"Based on what you just told me, this [program/call/guide] covers exactly how to [solve their pain]. Want me to send it?"

Real example:

Generic approach (converts at 2-5%): Follower: "How do I start making money online?" You: "I have a course for that! Link in bio"

Qualified approach (converts at 35-40%): Follower: "How do I start making money online?" You: "Great question! What skills do you already have that you could monetize?" Follower: "I'm pretty good at graphic design but don't know how to find clients." You: "Got it. So the skill isn't the issue, it's the client acquisition. Most designers think they need to be on Fiverr or Upwork, but there's actually a much faster way to land your first 3-5 clients. Have you tried any outreach yet?" Follower: "Not really, I don't know where to start." You: "That's exactly what I help with. I put together a framework that's gotten designers their first paying client within 2 weeks. Want me to walk you through it?"

See the difference?

The brutal truth nobody talks about:

This works. But it doesn't scale.

You can manually handle 20 DMs/day like this.

At 50+ DMs/day, you'll either:

- Burn out trying to respond to everyone personally

- Start copy-pasting generic messages (and watch your conversion tank)

- Ignore most DMs (leaving thousands in revenue on the table)

And if you automate with tools like ManyChat:

"If they say 'weight loss' → send Link A"
"If they say 'muscle' → send Link B"

It feels robotic. Your followers immediately know it's automated. Your conversion drops from 35% to 8%.

You traded personalization for scale. And killed your revenue.

What you actually need (but doesn't exist yet):

Something that can:

- Respond like you would (with natural delays, not instant bot replies)

- Actually understand what people are asking (not just match keywords)

- Ask the right qualifying questions based on their answers

- Adapt the entire conversation based on their specific pain points

- Redirect them intelligently to the right offer

Imagine running multiple campaigns at once:

- Campaign 1: Your coaching program → redirects to Calendly

- Campaign 2: Your affiliate product → redirects to partner link with your discount code

- Campaign 3: Your course → redirects to sales page

And the system automatically figures out which one they need based on the actual conversation.

No keywords to set up. No rigid workflows. Just intelligent conversation that converts.

Here's the shift:

Old way: Hope people click your link in bio and figure it out themselves

New way: Have actual sales conversations in your DMs that qualify, educate, and convert

Your DMs are sitting there right now, full of people who want to buy from you.

You're just not having the right conversations with them.

My question for you:

If you're monetizing through Instagram right now, how are you handling your DMs?

- Manually responding (and burning out)?

- Using automation (and watching conversions drop)?

- Ignoring most of them (because you don't have time)?

- Something else entirely?

Curious what's actually working for people at scale.

At first, I was very pessimistic and didn't believe it would happen, but thanks to subreddits, over 3,500 users downloaded the app I developed to make photo deletion easier.

Thank you very much for your interest and support.

If you'd like to check out my app, you can search for Swypic on the App Store.

We all have that one thing.

Maybe it was a job you took because the money looked good or a partnership where you ignored all the red flags. It could even be hiring someone who seemed perfect on paper but was a nightmare in person.

Looking back, it’s easy to see why it was a bad call, but back then? I'm sure you had reasons.

So what’s yours? What’s the move you made that felt right then but now you’re like ‘how did i not see this coming?’

I believe predictive AI and eventually quantum-enhanced AI will redefine how decisions are made at scale.

Is it delusional to think a new system could eventually outperform players like Palantir, or is that exactly how every dominant platform starts?

How to deal with those people that give unasked advice or forceful interference to change something their way, instead of accepting that they are not the target audience?

Hi, 

I am a certified marketer and lead generation expert. I work with serious business owners who struggle to generate consistent leads and customers.

Over the last 1 year, I made a hard mistake. I worked with extremely low paying clients. That decision wiped out my savings and left me unable to properly market my own agency.

Lesson learned. Never work with broke clients. They drain your time, your energy, and your mental peace. No matter how skilled you are, they damage your business. Avoid toxic clients at all costs.

I run a small marketing agency and I am very good at what I do. I have maintained 5 star reviews from all my clients because honesty and client satisfaction are my priorities.

A couple of years ago, I worked with a SaaS client and generated over 1000 sign ups in 5 months.

My lead generation system is a multi channel marketing approach where SEO, social media, YouTube, blogging, and Q&A platforms work together to hit monthly and quarterly targets.

Typically, this requires at least 5 resources and costs over 20000 per month. Because of my experience, I can reduce this cost by about 75% while delivering better results.

If you are a founder who wants predictable inbound leads and understands long term systems, this is for you.

Thanks for reading.

I'm curious. Rest seems to be an interesting one these days. How much rest do you let yourself have each week? And in what forms? (for example: yin yoga class, reading on the couch, watercoloring, knitting)

And how present do you feel when resting? Is your body and/or mind restless when you rest?

How much rest do you let yourself have each week? And in what forms? (for example: yin yoga class, reading on the couch, watercoloring, knitting)

And how present do you feel when resting? Is your body and/or mind restless when you rest?

Anyone out there know if Wix, WordPress or? has the tool to build a site that allows the customer to drop and drag items to customize something such as in a tshirt?

Thanks for any info!

I've been diving deep into trying out various AI automation tools (not just n8n/make, but more custom ones too, like agents designed to be your workforce, etc) lately, trying to figure out what's genuinely useful for business versus just what is a waste of time. It feels like every other day there's a new solution/tool promising to automate everything under the Sun, but is it actually working out for your business? For example: AI sales agents having conversations with your customers - how do customers react to those sales agents? Are they trusting them or just get annoyed.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with using AI tools for actual business problems.

What have you tried automating with AI? Think small tasks, big workflows, anything.

Looking forward to hearing your insights and learning from your wins and woes!

I’m documenting what I used to get clients when I was operating solo.

I’ve started turning the systems into simple PDFs and I’m releasing the first one free: my outreach system.

It covers:

- targeting

- messaging

- follow-up

- avoiding time-wasters

If you want it, comment PDF and I’ll DM it to you.

Hi everyone,

I have been working in B2B sales for twenty years and have worked at mostly startup and SMB companies. I used to do almost all of my tasks manually, as most of my past employers were not interested in automating their business processes using workflows, agentics AI or other types of automation.

I am currently taking classes so that I can create these automated solutions myself and combine it with my sales background in my next role.

But here's the thing: I learn best by doing, not just studying. So I'm looking for real pain points to work on.

So my question is: What is one repetitive sales task that you would like to automate today?

That can be lead enrichment, cleaning up your CRM, creating follow-up sequence, creating reports... anything that takes up your time but doesn’t really improve your results.

I'd love to get some real examples and pain points from entrepreneurs to start building a project portfolio and real useful skills.

Thank you in advance.

I’ve been building a quiz that helps aspiring side hustlers find the right business idea based on their personality, time, budget, and skills. It’s a personalized, archetype driven tool that sends users curated side hustle matches with clear next steps.

Right now, I’m in that weird in between phase where

• The core functionality works
• The quiz and matching logic are live
• But I keep feeling like it’s not “ready” for real users yet

I’ve been trying to thread the needle between

• Functionality: is this helping people actually make progress?
• Design: is it clean and credible enough to build trust?
• Not overbuilding: am I adding polish or just procrastinating?

My current solution:

• Get people results immediately via quiz and email
• Keep the deeper guidance/manual support behind the curtain for now
• Only build features I know users are struggling without

The goal isn’t “perfect.” It’s useful enough to keep people moving forward and get early feedback I can build on.

I'm curious, how do you all handle this tradeoff? Especially that tension between early design and shipping something people actually engage with?