Earlier quoted context omitted.
LeadGenius looks gross too. Has it been praised on HN?
They are a YC company.
And not even the first spammer YC has backed.
Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
21–30 of 63 posts
Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
#22> It takes a name and domain and checks against the server to see if the email for that person exists.
That sounds like SMTP VRFY, which doesn't work since it's disabled by every competent devops person.
Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
#23wondering if you disclosed that you were the creator of the service when you made the growthhacks list
Doesn't look like it. He seems to make no mention of his relationship to Anymailfinder or Makesmail in any of his posts. [3] It also looks like he is working closely with "Clavain Skade" or that is a sock puppet since they seem to publish everything for them to repost.
[1] (My favorite) https://growthhackers.com/slides/30-brilliant-growth-hack-ca... [2] https://medium.com/@clavain [3] https://growthhackers.com/members/kullar/posts
Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
#24> The money part of the plan worked though we’re now both full time on Anymailfinder It's no longer a side-business, and $1500/mo is not enough to sustain two partners.
The side-business making $1500/mo is the other venture that he started himself using the Anymailfinder API.
Then, he partnered up with the guy from Anymailfinder.
Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
#25I'm not sure why there is so much negativity in these comments. LeadGenius is nothing more than a well-financed spam enabler that charges more, and yet they are celebrated in the Valley and have been handed $18 million in funding. The only difference is that they aren't as up-front about how the data they sell is derived.
While I agree that it probably does enable a certain portion of spammers, cold outreach is a necessary component to growing a company. There is nothing more effective than a well directed email stating that 1) you can solve one of their problems and 2) are you willing to purchase it today? Skip your blog posts. Skip your viral marketing videos. Skip your media blitz. Find your customers. Find their emails (yes, using…
I agree that one man's spam can be another man's valuable service offering. But generally sending unsolicited email to people at work is considered spam.
The alternatives are numerous. Adwords, Facebook advertising, LinkedIn ads, running ad campaigns on targeted websites, etc. I saw one a story about one guy that was acutally able to specifically target a single person at a specific company he wanted using LinkedIn ads [1].
[1] http://thehustle.co/the-linkedin-hack-that-made-me-120000
Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
LeadGenius looks gross too. Has it been praised on HN?
They are a YC company.
> > LeadGenius looks gross too. Has it been praised on HN?
> They are a YC company.
While HN is offered by YC, being a YC company does not mean getting favorable reception by the community on HN.
So LeadGenius being a YC company and Anymailfinder getting poor reception on HN doesn't demonstrate any kind of inconsistency.
Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
They are a YC company.
> > LeadGenius looks gross too. Has it been praised on HN? > They are a YC company. While HN is offered by YC, being a YC company does not mean getting favorable reception by the community on HN. So LeadGenius being a YC company and Anymailfinder getting poor reception on HN doesn't demonstrate any kind of inconsistency.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6490949
They got 138 points on their launch and lots of positive comments. Then they received $18 million. I'd say that's pretty positive reception in the Valley.
Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
> > LeadGenius looks gross too. Has it been praised on HN? > They are a YC company. While HN is offered by YC, being a YC company does not mean getting favorable reception by the community on HN. So LeadGenius being a YC company and Anymailfinder getting poor reception on HN doesn't demonstrate any kind of inconsistency.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6490949 They got 138 points on their launch and lots of positive comments. Then they received $18 million. I'd say that's pretty positive reception in the Valley.
> They got 139 points on their launch.
Points on a HN news article aren't the same as votes in favor of the company by the HN community (heck, this one on Anymailfinder has 49 points currently; if points were a measure, Anymailfinder would be getting a positive response, rather than the negative one complained of to launch this subthread.)
> Then they received $18 million.
Not from HN.
> I'd say that's pretty positive reception in the Valley.
Reception by the HN community isn't the same thing as reception in the Valley.
Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
#29Don't use this in Europe. Cold emailing is forbidden in lots of countries.
If you cold email me with your business/sales/whatever you make money with it pitch, I report you to your hosting provider and if necessary, to the local authorities.
Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6490949 They got 138 points on their launch and lots of positive comments. Then they received $18 million. I'd say that's pretty positive reception in the Valley.
> They got 139 points on their launch. Points on a HN news article aren't the same as votes in favor of the company by the HN community (heck, this one on Anymailfinder has 49 points currently; if points were a measure, Anymailfinder would be getting a positive response, rather than the negative one complained of to launch this subthread.) > Then they received $18 million. Not from HN. > I'd say that's pretty positiv…
The comments seemed pretty positive.