My inboxes are in the warm-up phase, which I think takes about two weeks — is that right? I have time to prepare before the campaign starts. What should I do to get ready, and should I join Maker School now or wait until closer to when warm-up ends?
Warm-up actually takes two to three weeks, not two. I'd recommend joining Maker School as soon as possible rather than waiting — we walk you through the entire email setup and warm-up process, and since you've already started your warm-up, factoring in the roughly 21-day onboarding period actually puts you about 2 days ahead by joining now instead of behind. That's the most direct path to being ready when your campaign starts.
I recommend my own scheduling stack, which is pretty good though not necessarily the best. I send emails from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, avoiding Sunday because people are usually with family. Since I mainly target US markets, adjust for your timezone. On Mondays I start at 7 a.m., about half an hour before most office staff arrive, so as a business owner I'm already up and can be at the top of your inbox. Business owners often stay past 6 p.m., so pushing past that time helps reach decision-makers. The exact timing also depends on the gap you set in your instant tool—5, 10, or 15 minutes between emails—which can affect whether you can send at the same moment. Hopefully that makes sense.
Do Upwork and cold emails simultaneously. Cold emails require a 21‑day warm‑up period unless you buy pre‑warmed domains. Purchase the domains now run Upwork applications during the warm‑up then start cold emails after the 21 days. The analogy: the best time to plant a tree was 21 days ago; the second best time is today.
Hey man, I feel you—I wanted my first client on day one when I started door-to-door, and it took me three months. I don't think you should join Maker School with just one month saved. First, you might leave after a month without landing a client, since many don't succeed in the first month; my success rate is high over 90 days but not within 30 days. Second, you'll face extra costs like buying mailboxes—my minimum viable setup is about $40–$50 per month—and you're young, so you can't use freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr due to age limits, which I recommend for bootstrapping. Instead, save up for at least three or four months of Maker School before considering it, though you're already at a disadvantage being young. I'm not saying avoid Maker School entirely, but I don't want to take your money if you don't succeed.
I’ve been in the same spot. I started by rotating a handful of Gmail accounts—sometimes five—sending about ten cold emails a day from each. It’s not ideal, but it works to get started as long as your emails are well‑researched and the approach is solid. Gmail accounts have lower deliverability, especially new ones, so they need to warm up. You can also buy cheap inboxes (e.g., three Instantly airmail inboxes for around $4 each per month plus a domain) which gives you roughly 90 emails a day. Build a quick lead list, template your messages, and spend the first hour‑and‑a‑half each day sending them. You can also DM prospects. The key is to keep sending, refine your copy, and don’t worry too much about the tools at the start.