Warm introductions: how to get one, and how to make one
A warm introduction is when someone who knows both of you connects you, usually by email, and says why you should talk. The person you want to reach hears about you from someone they already trust, so your note arrives with that trust behind it instead of as a cold email from a stranger. The polite version is a double opt-in intro: the connector checks with the other person before introducing you.
Updated 9 November 2026. Written by the team behind Tapestry PRM.
How to find who can introduce you
Start from the person or company you want to reach, then work backward through the people you already know. Most good paths turn up in one of these places.
Name the target first
Pick one person, or one role at one company, such as the head of sales at a 50-person fintech. A specific target tells you where in your network to look and makes the ask easy to say yes to.
Look by company
List everyone you know who works there now or worked there before, plus people who sell to, invest in or partner with them. Former employees often know who to talk to and how decisions get made.
Filter LinkedIn by 2nd-degree connections
Search LinkedIn for people at the company and set the Connections filter to 2nd. Everyone in the results is connected to someone you're connected to. A LinkedIn connection says little about how well two people know each other, so check with your contact before you ask.
Look by city
People in the same city often share events, investors and old colleagues. If the person you want is in New York, check who you know in New York before anywhere else.
Look through past meetings and threads
Search your email, calendar and messages for the company name. A call last year, an investor update or a group chat shows who has a real relationship and who met them once.
Pick the strongest connector
Choose someone who knows the target well and knows your work well. A former colleague who worked beside them for years is a better path than a close friend who met them at a dinner. Ask one connector at a time.
Doing this with Tapestry PRM
Tapestry PRM is a personal CRM for Mac, and we make it. It reads the sources you choose, such as Gmail, Google Calendar, iMessage, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Slack and HubSpot, and shows who you know at a company, in a city or in an upcoming meeting. Every detail keeps its source, so you can tell a years-long thread from a single meeting.
Fieldstone
4 people you know
Marcus Lee
Head of sales at Fieldstone
LinkedIn · Worked together at Kestrel Data
Dana Ruiz
Finance lead at Fieldstone
Google Calendar · Pilot review, last month
Kevin Park
Former engineer at Fieldstone
iMessage · “Happy to help with anything at Fieldstone.”
Sarah Chen
Investor in Fieldstone
Gmail · Quarterly update thread
It never sends messages or contacts anyone for you. You decide who to ask and press send yourself.
When nobody you know works there
Look past your own contacts. A teammate, someone in your community or a well-connected friend may know the person you need.
Ask your team
A co-founder, partner or teammate may already know someone at the company. Ask the one who knows them, instead of posting “does anyone know someone at…?” to everyone.
With Tapestry
Tapestry for teams, in preview, shows which teammate knows someone at a company and when they were last in touch. Each person chooses what the team can see.
Ask through your community
Members of an accelerator, alumni network, fund portfolio or angel group often know people you don't. Ask for one specific person, and let the members who know them choose to help.
With Tapestry
In a Tapestry community, you see how many members can introduce you, then make the ask. Names stay private until a member agrees to help. Free for members and hosts.
Ask a connector to look for you
Someone who knows you well and knows the industry can often see a path you can't. Name the one company or person, so they can check properly, and keep the same easy out you'd give for an intro.
How to ask for a warm introduction
Make the favor small and easy to turn down. Send your connector two things: a short ask, and a note they can forward without rewriting.
Say who and why
Name the person and the one reason the conversation is worth their time.
Keep the request small
A 20-minute call is easy to agree to. A standing meeting is not.
Say what kind of conversation it is
If it is a sales, hiring or fundraising call, say so. Calling it advice spends the connector's trust.
Give an easy out
“If the timing is wrong, no problem” lets the connector decline without any awkwardness.
Make the note forwardable
Write it in the third person, short enough to read on a phone, with one link and no attachments.
Your ask to the connector
- From
- You
- To
- [Connector]
- Subject
- Would you introduce me to [name]?
Hi [connector], I'm trying to reach [name] at [company] about [specific topic]. I saw you worked together at [place], so I thought you might know them well. Would you be comfortable asking whether they're open to a 20-minute call? There's a short note below that you can forward as is. If it isn't a fit or the timing is off, no problem at all. Thanks, [Your name]
The forwardable note
- From
- You, for the connector to forward
- To
- [Name]
- Subject
- Intro request: [your name], [company]
[Your name] runs [company], which helps [type of customer] with [problem]. [One line of proof: a past role, a customer, or something people can try today.] [Your name] would like 20 minutes with [name] to [specific ask]. This is a [sales / hiring / fundraising / advice] conversation. More: [one link]
How to make an introduction for someone else
When you connect two people, your name is on the line with both of them. Ask each person before you connect them. This is the double opt-in intro, which Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures proposed in 2009, and many founders and investors now expect it.
Check with the other person first
Forward the requester's note with a line of your own and ask if they'd like the intro. Do it privately, so they can say no without anyone else seeing.
Pass on a no kindly
If they decline or don't answer, tell the requester plainly. They would rather know than keep waiting.
Send one email to both people
Once both agree, put both addresses in To. Say who each person is in a sentence and why they should talk.
Hand off the next step
End by naming who moves next, then step back. The intro stalls when both people wait for the other.
The introduction, once both say yes
- From
- [Connector]
- To
- [Name A], [Name B]
- Subject
- Intro: [Name A] <> [Name B]
[Name B], meet [Name A]. [A] runs [company] and [one relevant fact]. [Name A], meet [Name B]. [B] leads [team] at [company] and [one relevant fact]. [A] would like to talk about [topic]. You both said you're happy to connect, so I'll leave it with you. [A], over to you. [Connector]
Following up and thanking the connector
The intro is where the connector's work ends and yours starts. Reply quickly, keep the thread tidy, and tell them how it went.
Reply the same day
Reply all, thank the connector and move them to Bcc. Then offer two or three specific times with a time zone, or a scheduling link.
If the other person goes quiet
Wait about a week, then send one short nudge on the same thread. If there is still no answer, tell the connector and let it go. Don't ask them to chase.
Close the loop after the meeting
Tell the connector how it went, even if the answer was no. One thing you learned and the next step is enough, and it makes your next ask easier.
Your reply to the intro
- From
- You
- To
- [Name]; Bcc [Connector]
- Subject
- Re: Intro: [Name A] <> [Name B]
Thanks, [connector] (moving you to Bcc). [Name], good to meet you. Would [day] at [time] or [day] at [time] [time zone] work for 20 minutes? Happy to fit around you. [Your name]
Common warm intro mistakes
Most of these cost the connector something, which makes the next ask harder.
Asking for “anyone useful”
A vague ask makes the connector do your research and stake their name on it. Name one person, or one role at one company.
Making an intro without asking
A surprise intro hands someone a task they never agreed to. Check with them first, every time.
Sending a deck instead of a note
Attachments get skipped. A short note with one link is easier to forward and easier to read.
Asking several people for the same intro
Two connectors pitching you to the same person at once looks disorganized. Ask one, wait for an answer, then try the next.
Leaving the connector in the thread
Move them to Bcc in your first reply so your scheduling back-and-forth stays out of their inbox.
Going quiet afterward
If you never report back, the connector has no reason to help next time. A two-line update is enough.
Warm introduction questions
What is a warm introduction?
A warm introduction is when someone who knows both of you connects you, usually by email, and says why you should talk. The person you want to reach hears about you from someone they already trust, so your note arrives with that trust behind it instead of as a cold email from a stranger. The polite version is a double opt-in intro: the connector checks with the other person before introducing you.
What is the difference between a warm intro and a cold email?
A cold email comes from a stranger. A warm intro comes from someone the recipient already knows, who vouches for why the conversation is worth having. Cold email still has its place when you have no path in, but when a mutual contact exists, an intro gives the reader a reason to trust you before they read your note.
What is a double opt-in introduction?
An introduction where the connector asks both people for permission before connecting them. The person you want to meet can say no privately, and the connector sends the intro email only after both agree. Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures proposed this etiquette in a 2009 post on his blog, AVC.
How do I ask someone for a warm introduction?
Send a short message that names the person, the reason and one small request, such as a 20-minute call. Include a forwardable note written in the third person with one link, and give the connector an easy way to say no.
How long should I wait to follow up after an intro?
Reply to the intro itself the same day. If the other person doesn't answer, wait about a week before one short follow-up on the same thread. If the connector hasn't answered your original ask, one gentle check-in after a week is fine; after that, treat it as a no and thank them anyway.
Should I thank the person who made the intro?
Yes, twice. Thank them in your first reply as you move them to Bcc, then again after the meeting with a line about how it went and what happens next.
How do I find who can introduce me to someone?
Start from the company or person you want to reach. Search your email, calendar, messages and LinkedIn for people who work there now or did before, then pick the one who knows both of you best. If nobody you know works there, ask your team or your community. A personal CRM such as Tapestry PRM can show who you know at a company or in a city across the sources you choose.
How can my sales team find who we already know at a target account?
Ask the whole company, including founders, executives and customer success, plus your investors and advisors. Filter LinkedIn by the company and 2nd-degree connections, then check with the teammate how well they know the person before asking for an intro. Tapestry for teams, in preview, shows which teammate knows someone at a company and when they were last in touch, and each person chooses what the team can see.
How can members of an accelerator or alumni network make warm intros without sharing their contacts?
Use double opt-in at the group level. A member names the person or company they want to reach, members who know someone there choose whether to help, and nobody hands over a contact list. In a Tapestry community, the member sees how many members can introduce them, then makes the ask. Names stay private until a member agrees to help, and communities are free for members and hosts.
Sources
Fred Wilson, “The Double Opt-In Introduction,” AVC, 3 November 2009, checked 2 November 2026
Patrick Henshaw, “How to Write a Forwardable Email,” Render Capital, 23 February 2023, checked 2 November 2026
“2nd and 3rd degree connections in search on LinkedIn,” LinkedIn Help, checked 9 November 2026
“Your Network and Degrees of Connection,” LinkedIn Help, checked 9 November 2026
“How to Get a Warm Introduction to a VC,” 1752vc, checked 2 November 2026
See who can introduce you before you ask
Tapestry PRM shows who you know at a company, in a city or in your next meeting, from the sources you choose, and where each detail came from. It never contacts anyone for you.
Invite-only for now. The local version is free.