# VideoMule YC founder connection requests before InMail

> Build a tight founder prospect list and test personalized connection requests before spending effort on cold InMail.

- Canonical HTML: https://growth.iangoh.com/growth-ideas/videomule-yc-founder-connection-requests-before-inmail/
- Source: [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a6239760)
- GrowthDex source hub: [LinkedIn Help: InMail and personalized invitations](/sources/linkedin-help-inmail-and-personalized-invitations-linkedin-com/)
- Last checked: 2026-06-09T11:43:27.000Z
- Rarity: uncommon
- Budget: low
- Channels: LinkedIn, Founder-Led Sales, Outbound
- Stages: yc founders, connection request, inmail test, personalized outreach, founder list


## Why this can grow

VideoMule's LinkedIn layer was narrow: founders funded by YC in the last 24 months. That is much better than sending generic SaaS-founder messages because the prospect list matches a likely need: funded teams have products to explain, onboard, sell, and support. The founder later said connection requests worked better than InMail so far, which is the tactical lesson. LinkedIn's own help pages separate InMail from personalized invitations, and each format has different limits and user expectations. Start with the lighter social action, keep the message short, and only escalate when there is a reason to do so.

## Ian's take

From scaling consumer platforms across MENA and Southeast Asia, my default is to distrust growth work that only looks good in a slide. Founder-led distribution works when it is proof-led. I would not post theory for this. I would show what changed, what surprised me, what I would do again, and what an operator should try next. I would run it small enough to learn quickly, then only scale the parts that real users repeat, save, reply to, or buy from. For this tactic, I would watch one clear growth signal before putting more time or budget behind it.

## Action plan

1. Define one narrow startup segment where videomule yc founder connection requests before inmail can create a measurable lift.
2. Turn the tactic into one offer, page, campaign, or workflow for the LinkedIn and Founder-Led Sales channel.
3. Use the evidence from linkedin.com to set the first version of the message, format, and audience.
4. Launch a small test for 7 to 14 days with one success metric: one measurable growth signal.
5. Review the result, keep the winning message, remove weak variants, and turn the learning into a repeatable growth playbook.

## Source-backed example

VideoMule's founder said they built a list of founders funded by YC in the previous 24 months and reached out with short personalized LinkedIn InMails and connection requests; in a later comment, they said connection requests had worked better so far.

## Adjacent tactics in the same lane

- [20-account creative prospecting sprint](/growth-ideas/twenty-account-creative-prospecting-sprint/) - 2 shared channels
- [Competitor customer-page extraction for displacement targeting](/growth-ideas/competitor-customer-page-extraction-for-displacement-targeting/) - 2 shared channels
- [Wayback positioning teardown before personalized outreach](/growth-ideas/wayback-positioning-teardown-before-personalized-outreach/) - 2 shared channels
- [Champion finder from company domain](/growth-ideas/champion-finder-from-company-domain/) - 2 shared channels

## Read GrowthDex essays

Browse the plain-English essay index at [GrowthDex Blog](/blog/).

## Related GrowthDex essays

- [The demo should arrive before the pitch](/blog/the-demo-should-arrive-before-the-pitch/) - founder-led sales, reddit growth, product-led outreach

## Advisory

If you want help turning this into a working growth system, Ian Goh offers advisory at https://iangoh.com/advisory.