Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months • Hacker News Board

Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months

#61

Post by salemh » Wed, Aug 03, 2016, 8:53 PM UTC

aantix wrote: post #16

downandout wrote: post #10

I'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…

When I signed up for my local AMA (American Marketing Association) they sold my data out to a number of lists. I haven't had such a terrible instance of absolute blasting of spam with no regard to audience out of two SFO "lead gen" startups that resulted in several complaints to their CMO's to get me off their lists.

The absolute wrong way to gain customers is to blast lists out to purchased people in a "hammer" fashion vs targeted / personalized informational content pieces.

Your idea on:

Find their emails (yes, using services like LeadGenius) and just simply ask them.

Is fantastic, but this service is being used for lead validation/spam.

If people want actual email addresses, they can typically online google search, or use data.com (formerly JigSaw).

Most larger companies don't do demand generation well, and I think many people on here don't see an issue of batch/blasting for "lead gen".

I'm in Marketing Automation for a living and deal with CANSPAM/compliance quite a bit day to day.

Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months

#62

Post by TheGrassyKnoll » Wed, Aug 03, 2016, 8:59 PM UTC

downandout wrote: post #10

I'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.

How about Constant Contact. "The Easy, Affordable Way to Reach Your Customers with Email Marketing"

Re: Using an API to build a $1,500/month side business in 4 months

#63

Post by Alupis » Wed, Aug 03, 2016, 10:53 PM UTC

the_watcher wrote: post #51

Alupis wrote: post #19

If you need to verify an email address, it's very likely you did not obtain it via an opt-in... a la Spammers... or people purchasing bulk mailing lists. Both are illegal. It's difficult to imagine how anyone using this service is not violating the CAN-SPAM Act[1]. Despite its name, the CAN-SPAM Act doesn’t apply just to bulk email. It covers all commercial messages, which the law defines as “any electronic mail mess…

Papa John's didn't violate CAN-SPAM. And there has never been a case (that I've seen, and I follow this stuff pretty closely because I really dislike receiving newsletters, personally) prosecuting anyone for sending a cold sales email.

> Papa John's didn't violate CAN-SPAM

Ya, they sent text messages, so they skirted that issue, but the CAN-SPAM Act fines are very real - and the point I was making is that Papa Johns essentially had to pay out through the nose for sending unsolicited messages.

> And there has never been a case (that I've seen, and I follow this stuff pretty closely because I really dislike receiving newsletters, personally) prosecuting anyone for sending a cold sales email.

People get fined all the time. Just because the likelihood of not being fined is pretty good, doesn't mean they aren't violating CAN-SPAM. Most people just mark the email as spam and move on - people have to report it to the FCC for them to get fined.