Email Introduction Etiquette • Hacker News Board

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#11

Post by tvladeck » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 6:47 PM UTC

If you're like me, and sometimes jump to the discussion before reading the article, please go ahead and read the article. It's one of those rare ones that is truly a summary of itself: super short, information dense, with every part having meaning and nothing else.

This protocol is super simple, and allows for very efficient transfer of information without putting people in uncomfortable situations.

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#12

Post by peterwwillis » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 7:06 PM UTC

> makes a specific ask

You mean ask a specific question? Or is this silicon valley jargon?

edit:

Through the power of The Googles I now realize he could have been using the stock market form of 'ask'. It makes some sense since you're asking for an investment. Not that I like it any better...

   The price a seller is willing to accept for a security, 
   also known as the offer price. Along with the price, the 
   ask quote will generally also stipulate the amount of the 
   security willing to be sold at that price.

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/ask.asp

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#13

Post by javindo » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 7:11 PM UTC

peterwwillis wrote: post #12

> makes a specific ask You mean ask a specific question? Or is this silicon valley jargon? edit: Through the power of The Googles I now realize he could have been using the stock market form of 'ask'. It makes some sense since you're asking for an investment. Not that I like it any better... The price a seller is willing to accept for a security, also known as the offer price. Along with the price, the ask quote will…

Doesn't necessarily have to be jargon, it's a fairly common phrasing "would you ask that of him?" / "the client had an ask which we fulfilled". I suppose it can sound a bit biz-buzz but nothing specific to SV.

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#14

Post by wpietri » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 7:12 PM UTC

peterwwillis wrote: post #12

> makes a specific ask You mean ask a specific question? Or is this silicon valley jargon? edit: Through the power of The Googles I now realize he could have been using the stock market form of 'ask'. It makes some sense since you're asking for an investment. Not that I like it any better... The price a seller is willing to accept for a security, also known as the offer price. Along with the price, the ask quote will…

It is jargon. It's the thing one is going to ask for.

The meaning is slightly more specific than a generic word like "request" or "desire". It implies something specific, focused, and prepared.

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#15

Post by kanamekun » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 7:13 PM UTC

This proposed workflow reads like a product spec for a great web app... hopefully someone builds a website which does this exactly!

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#16

Post by oh_sigh » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 7:13 PM UTC

peterwwillis wrote: post #12

> makes a specific ask You mean ask a specific question? Or is this silicon valley jargon? edit: Through the power of The Googles I now realize he could have been using the stock market form of 'ask'. It makes some sense since you're asking for an investment. Not that I like it any better... The price a seller is willing to accept for a security, also known as the offer price. Along with the price, the ask quote will…

It's an "almost anywhere business is done in America" jargon.

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#17

Post by steveklabnik » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 7:15 PM UTC

peterwwillis wrote: post #12

> makes a specific ask You mean ask a specific question? Or is this silicon valley jargon? edit: Through the power of The Googles I now realize he could have been using the stock market form of 'ask'. It makes some sense since you're asking for an investment. Not that I like it any better... The price a seller is willing to accept for a security, also known as the offer price. Along with the price, the ask quote will…

Yes. Saying "I'd like to catch up with you to discuss what we've been doing at X" isn't very specific, and can be a waste of time. "I'd like to see if you'd like to get in on our seed round, we're looking for $200,000" is very specific, and waaaaay better.

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#18

Post by conwayanderson » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 7:18 PM UTC

wdewind wrote: post #8

omarkatzen wrote: post #7

This is why it's unreasonable to have any faith in the contemporary Silicon Valley. Cold-calling used to work out there, because it was full of people who just wanted to do a good job and help each other succeed. Now, you need an introduction because it's full of emasculated social climbers who need some way of determining whether a person is of sufficient social status to merit 30 seconds of consideration. Because o…

I think people are just busy dude.

Agreed. Most people are just too busy doing what they do best: building something or helping others build something. All of those "coffees" that build a bridge to nowhere add up.

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#19

Post by bluetidepro » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 7:19 PM UTC

kanamekun wrote: post #15

This proposed workflow reads like a product spec for a great web app... hopefully someone builds a website which does this exactly!

Do you think we really need a web app that does something this simple that can be accomplished via any existing email app/product? And I'm not trying to be a dick by saying that, I'm actually curious. I feel like I see sites that would do something like this (do something general, something that could easily be done with an existing app/product) a bunch of times each week that seem neat for a min, but then I completely forget about them. It always ends up being that the existing app/product you use a 100x a day is just easier to use/remember.

Re: Email Introduction Etiquette

#20

Post by peterwwillis » Fri, Dec 13, 2013, 7:20 PM UTC

wpietri wrote: post #14

peterwwillis wrote: post #12

> makes a specific ask You mean ask a specific question? Or is this silicon valley jargon? edit: Through the power of The Googles I now realize he could have been using the stock market form of 'ask'. It makes some sense since you're asking for an investment. Not that I like it any better... The price a seller is willing to accept for a security, also known as the offer price. Along with the price, the ask quote will…

It is jargon. It's the thing one is going to ask for. The meaning is slightly more specific than a generic word like "request" or "desire". It implies something specific, focused, and prepared.

If that's the case, the word 'specific' in the sentence is what makes it specific, not the phrasing. You already know they want you to provide a request for something, but you don't know it's something specific until they specify specifically.

'give a specific ask' and 'ask a specific question' are therefore equivalent, with the exception that the former looks like it was written by a 5th grader.