From MBA Startup to $1M Cold Email Outreach Agency

Introduction

Adam Rosen saw cold email as a direct path to landing enterprise accounts when he ran his first tech startup. By the time he sold that company in 2019, he had landed clients like Bank of America, Amazon, and Apple simply by sending concise, well-targeted notes to decision makers. After the exit, he decided to package these tactics into a full-service agency for B2B firms.

Building a Solid Base

The first pillar was email infrastructure. Rosen’s team spins up dozens—or even hundreds—of domains for each client and configures DKIM, SPF and DMARC records on every one. They set up thousands of mailboxes so volume limits stay within safe thresholds. That work resembles tuning each address like a precision instrument to avoid landing in spam folders.

High-Quality Lists on the Cheap

Rather than paying a dollar per contact, Rosen leverages modern tools like Instantly.ai and Apollo.io to gather verified addresses for a few cents each. Every list is run through a double-verification process to remove bad addresses. When bounces climb or spam complaints spike, they toss the list and rebuild.

Crafting Simple, Effective Sequences

Messaging follows a clear pattern: a greeting with the prospect’s name, a brief mention of a pain point, a proof point or social proof, and a direct ask for a short call. The team keeps subject lines as plain as “Hi [Name]” and never adds tracking pixels or images. A charity-pledge footer boosts reply rates.

Scaling Up

In three years, Rosen’s agency has grown from zero to over 100 clients. Some pay up to $30,000 per month for continuous outreach. Despite tougher anti-spam rules and AI-powered filters, the agency hits response rates of up to 2.5 positive replies per 1,000 emails sent.

Measuring Success

The key metric is positive reply rate. Rosen aims for at least one good reply per 1,000 emails. Once replies roll in, his team tracks scheduled calls, meetings, and pipeline value. They handle over 300 booked meetings per month across all clients.

Conclusion

Adam Rosen’s model proves that well-engineered infrastructure, clean contact data, and concise outreach can still generate high-value conversations. By focusing on quality over volume and adapting to inbox rules, his agency crossed the $1M annual revenue mark and shows no signs of slowing down.