What to say in a first message after a match

A match means both people are interested. The first message decides whether that interest becomes a conversation. Three sentences is enough: context, ask, easy next step.

To a potential co-founder

"I'm building cold-chain storage for smallholder farmers in Oyo — six paying farms, all operations manual. I'm looking for someone to own the software side as a co-founder. Want to compare notes for 20 minutes this week?"

To a supplier

"I'm launching a skincare line and need 500 units of a 50ml cream. Do you take runs that small, and what's your lead time from deposit? Happy to pay for a sample first."

To a mentor or investor

"We do $3k monthly revenue from 90 subscribers, growing 20% month on month. One question: at what point should we hire ahead of revenue? No pitch attached."

What to avoid

Four openers that reliably kill a conversation:

• "Hi" and nothing else.
• A pitch deck with no message.
• A vague request to "pick your brain".
• Asking for money before establishing what you do.