βοΈ Apollo β Clay β Instantly Pipeline
π
1. Apollo
Find prospects by ICP filters
- Title: CISO, VP Eng, CTO
- Size: 200-5000 employees
- Industry: Fintech, SaaS, Health
- Geo: UK β EMEA β US
- Export 500-1000 per segment
- Verify emails (remove "guessed")
β
π§ͺ
2. Clay
Enrich + personalise at scale
- Tech stack (BuiltWith) β using Snyk?
- Recent funding (Crunchbase)
- Security hires (LinkedIn)
- AI tool usage (job postings)
- AI-generated personalised opening line
- Remove existing customers/warm contacts
β
π§
3. Instantly
Send sequences + manage warmup
- Import enriched CSV from Clay
- Map Clay columns β merge tags
- Assign sequence (A, B, or C)
- Set limits: 20-50/day per mailbox
- Schedule: Mon-Thu, 8-11 AM local
- Enable reply detection + OOO pause
β
π₯
4. Positive Reply
Convert to pipeline
- Respond within 2 hours
- Book Cal.com meeting
- Promote to MarketingContact DB
- Add to Brevo warm nurture
- Track in pipeline (Lead β Demo)
- Never re-cold-email this person
π Benchmarks: Email Only vs With Multipliers
| Metric | Email Only | + LinkedIn | + Free Scan | + Triggers |
| Open Rate | 45% | 60% | 60% | 65% |
| Reply Rate | 2% | 5% | 7% | 10% |
| Positive Reply | 0.8% | 2% | 3.5% | 5% |
| Meeting/100 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 4+ |
| Bounce Rate | <3% | <2% | <1% | <1% |
π« Never Do
β Send cold email from precogs.ai β ruins your primary domain
β Send before warmup completes (14+ days)
β Blast email lists via Brevo β will get you banned
β Use HTML/images in cold email β triggers spam filters
β Pitch in first message β ask a question instead
β Skip email verification β >3% bounce = blacklist
β Re-email someone who said "not interested"
β Email competitors (Snyk, SonarQube, Checkmarx employees)
β Email personal Gmail/Yahoo β B2B only (company domains)
π¬ Reply Templates (Objection Handling)
Most meetings are won or lost in the REPLY, not the cold email. Copy-paste these.
"Not interested"
Thanks for letting me know, {{firstName}}. Totally respect that.
Just curious β is it because the timing's off, or you're genuinely happy with your current setup?
Either way, I'll close this thread. Appreciate the reply.
Why: 15-20% of "not interested" replies convert when you ask WHY. The soft close removes pressure.
"Send me more info"
Sure thing! Here's a quick overview:
β Precogs runs SAST + SCA + IaC + Container + PII detection in one platform
β False positive rate under 2% (vs 30-40% industry avg)
β Catches PII leaking into AI assistants (Copilot/Cursor) before it leaves your IDE
Easiest way to see it: we can scan one of your repos in 5 min β no call needed. Want me to set that up?
Why: Don't just send a PDF. Give 3 bullets + re-anchor to the free scan CTA.
"How much does it cost?"
Great question. Pricing depends on team size and scan volume, but most teams our size pay between Β£500-2,000/month.
Happy to get you exact pricing β would a quick 15-min call work? Or I can send you a self-serve trial link if you'd prefer to test first.
Why: Give a range (anchoring), then offer both paths β call for enterprise, self-serve for smaller.
"We already use Snyk/SonarQube"
Makes sense β they're solid tools, especially for SCA.
Most teams I speak to use Snyk for dependency scanning but still struggle with noisy SAST results and have zero visibility into PII leaking into AI code assistants.
We're not a rip-and-replace β we fill the gaps. Worth comparing results on one repo? Takes 5 min.
Why: Validate their choice, position as complementary, then re-anchor to free scan.
"Who are you?"
Fair question! I'm {{yourName}}, co-founder at Precogs. We build an AI-native code security platform β think SAST, SCA, and PII detection in one scan.
Reached out because {{company}} fits the profile of teams that get the most value from what we do. Happy to show you in 5 min β no commitment.
Positive reply β Book meeting
Awesome, glad this resonated! Here's my calendar β grab any slot that works for you:
β https://cal.com/rajnish-precogs/15min
Looking forward to it. In the meantime, I can set up a free scan of one repo so we have real data to discuss on the call.
Why: Send Cal.com link immediately. Offer pre-scan so the demo has real data β much more compelling.
βοΈ Email Signature Template
Use this in ALL cold email mailboxes. Plain text only β no images, no HTML.
Best,
{{firstName}} {{lastName}}
Co-founder, Precogs
π precogs.ai | π
Book a chat
AI-native code security β SAST, SCA, PII detection in one scan.
Unsubscribe: {{unsubscribe}}
β οΈ Instantly auto-inserts {{unsubscribe}}. Cal.com link only after positive reply.
π« Suppression List (Never Email)
β Existing customers & trial users (check Brevo/app DB)
β Competitor employees (Snyk, SonarQube, Checkmarx, Semgrep, Veracode)
β Investors, advisors, partners
β Anyone who previously unsubscribed or said "not interested"
β Government / public sector (different procurement, skip for now)
β Companies with <20 employees (too small for B2B sale)
Upload to Instantly as "Global Block List". Add to Clay as exclusion filter.
π Post-Meeting Follow-Up
| Same day | Send recap email: key points discussed, next steps, attach one-pager |
| Day 2 | If they said "need to check with team" β offer to do a 10-min demo for their team |
| Day 5 | Follow up: "Any questions from the team? Happy to jump on a quick call" |
| Day 10 | Share a relevant blog post, CVE analysis, or case study (stay top of mind) |
| Day 14 | Soft close: "Where are you at on evaluating? Happy to extend the trial" |
| Day 21 | Final: "Closing the loop β should I check back next quarter?" |
Add to Brevo as automated nurture sequence for demo attendees.
π° Monthly Budget
| Tool | Plan | Cost/mo | What for |
| Apollo | Professional | $99 | Prospecting, verified emails, saved searches |
| Clay | Explorer | $149 | Enrichment, AI personalisation, tech stack data |
| Instantly | Growth | $97 | Email sending, warmup, reply tracking |
| Domains (3) | β | ~$5/ea | Secondary sending domains (one-time/year) |
| Google Workspace | Business Starter | $45 | 9 mailboxes Γ $5/ea |
| Cal.com | Free | $0 | Meeting scheduling |
| Total | ~$400/mo | ROI: 1 closed deal = Β£5K-20K ARR β 12-50x return |
π΄ Week 0 β Infra Sprint (Apr 23-25)
THIS WEEK0/14
β
Success criteria: 9 mailboxes warming by Friday. App stable. Welcome emails firing. Outbound HQ live.
π‘ Week 1 β List Building & Sequences (Apr 28 - May 2)
0 emails β warmup day 3-7
Apollo List Building
| Mon 28 | Create Saved Search: CISO/VP Security, Fintech, 200-5000 emp, UK |
| Mon 28 | Create Saved Search: VP Eng/CTO, SaaS, 50-2000 emp, UK |
| Tue 29 | Export 500 prospects per segment (1000 total) |
| Tue 29 | Remove "guessed" emails β only keep "verified" |
| Wed 30 | Deduplicate against existing customers and warm contacts |
| Wed 30 | Create 3rd Saved Search: DevSecOps/AppSec Engineer, 100-5000 emp |
| Thu 1 | Export additional 500 from Segment 3 |
| Fri 2 | Final verified list: 1500 prospects ready for Clay |
Write Email Sequences
| Mon 28 | Write Sequence A (4 emails): False Positive Fatigue β for CISOs |
| Tue 29 | Write Sequence B (4 emails): AI Code Security β for VP Eng/CTO |
| Wed 30 | Write Sequence C (4 emails): Competitor Displacement β for Snyk users |
| Thu 1 | Create 3 A/B subject line variants per sequence |
| Thu 1 | Set up Instantly β Slack webhook for reply alerts |
| Fri 2 | Send test sequence to 5 internal accounts β check rendering |
β
Success criteria: 9 mailboxes warming, 1500 verified prospects exported, all sequences written.
π‘ Week 2 β Enrichment & Load (May 5-9)
0 emails β warmup day 10-14
Clay Enrichment
| Mon | Import Apollo exports into Clay tables |
| Mon | Add enrichment: BuiltWith tech stack (detect Snyk/SonarQube users) |
| Tue | Add enrichment: Crunchbase funding (last 12 months) |
| Tue | Add enrichment: LinkedIn job postings (DevSecOps/Security hires) |
| Wed | Add AI column: personalised opening line per prospect |
| Wed | Segment: Snyk users β Sequence C, Recently funded β trigger email |
| Thu | Export enriched CSV, map columns to Instantly merge tags |
| Fri | Import into Instantly, assign to Sequence A (CISO) / B (VP Eng) |
Write Email Sequences
| Mon | Write Sequence A (4 emails): False Positive Fatigue β for CISOs |
| Tue | Write Sequence B (4 emails): AI Code Security β for VP Eng/CTO |
| Wed | Write Sequence C (4 emails): Competitor Displacement β for Snyk users |
| Thu | Create 3 A/B subject line variants per sequence |
| Thu | Set up Instantly β Slack webhook for reply alerts |
| Fri | Set up Cal.com booking link + confirmation emails |
| Fri | Send test sequence to 5 internal accounts β check rendering |
β
Success criteria: All 3 sequences written + A/B variants, Clay enrichment complete, prospects segmented and loaded into Instantly. Warmup at Day 10+.
π’ Week 3 β Soft Launch (May 12-16)
~300 emails | 20/mailbox/day
Daily Actions
| Mon | Verify inbox placement >95% on all mailboxes. GO/NO-GO decision. |
| Mon | Activate Sequence A ONLY β UK Fintech CISOs β 20/mailbox/day |
| Daily | LinkedIn pre-warm: View 20 profiles, send 10 connection requests |
| Daily | Check Instantly dashboard: opens, replies, bounces at 9 AM and 5 PM |
| Daily | Respond to ANY reply within 5 minutes (Slack alerts) |
| Fri | Week 3 review: open rate, reply rate, bounce rate. Kill any mailbox >3% bounce. |
Expected Results
| Sent | ~300 (20/mailbox Γ 15 mailbox-days) |
| Opens | 150-195 (50-65%) |
| Replies | 3-9 (1-3%) |
| Positive | 1-3 |
| Meetings | 0-1 |
| π¨ Red flag | Open rate <30% = deliverability issue. STOP and investigate. |
π’ Week 4 β A/B Test & Expand (May 19-23)
~375 emails | 25/mailbox/day
Key Actions
| Mon | Analyse Week 3: which subject line got highest open rate? Kill losers. |
| Mon | Increase volume to 25/mailbox/day |
| Tue | Activate Sequence B for VP Eng/CTO segment |
| Wed | Start LinkedIn DMs (Day 5) for Week 3 prospects who didn't reply |
| Daily | Continue LinkedIn pre-warming for new batch |
| Fri | A/B results: compare Seq A vs Seq B open + reply rates |
Expected Results
| Sent | ~375 |
| Replies | 4-12 |
| Meetings | 1-2 |
| Cumulative | 675 sent, 7-21 replies, 1-3 meetings |
π’ Week 5-6 β Scale & Optimise (May 26 - Jun 6)
~525-600/wk | 35-40/mailbox/day
Week 5: Scale
| Action | Add EMEA segments (Germany, Netherlands, Nordics) |
| Action | Activate Sequence C (Competitor Displacement) for Snyk users |
| Action | Kill lowest-performing subject line variant |
| Action | Start "Free Scan" CTA on Email 3 for all sequences |
| Volume | 35/mailbox/day β ~525/week |
| Meetings | 1-3 expected |
Week 6: Optimise
| Action | Double down on best-performing sequence (highest reply rate) |
| Action | Add US East Coast segments (NYC, Boston fintech) |
| Action | Review pipeline: how many replies β demos β opportunities? |
| Action | Account-based: pick top 20 accounts, email 3 people each |
| Volume | 40/mailbox/day β ~600/week |
| Cumulative | ~2,200 sent, 25-60 replies, 5-12 meetings |
π΅ Week 7-8 β Cruise & Scale Up (Jun 9-20)
~675-750/wk | 45-50/mailbox/day
Week 7: Cruise
| Action | Buy 2 more domains + create 6 new mailboxes (start warmup) |
| Action | Refine ICP: who actually replies? Narrow down best-fit profile. |
| Action | Create trigger-based sequences (funding alerts, CVE alerts) |
| Action | Set up Google Alerts for breach news + CVE drops |
| Volume | 45/mailbox/day β ~675/week |
Week 8: Scale Up
| Action | New domains go live (warmup complete) β add to rotation |
| Action | Scale to 50/mailbox/day across 15 mailboxes β 750/week |
| Action | Evaluate: do you need an SDR to handle reply volume? |
| Action | Build Week 9-12 plan based on what's working |
| Cumulative | ~3,600 sent, 40-100 replies, 15-40 meetings |
| With multipliers | 60+ meetings achievable β
|
β° Best Send Times (Recipient's Local Time)
Instantly sends in the recipient's timezone automatically. These are the windows to set.
Tuesday
π¬π§ 8:00-10:30 AM BST Β· πΊπΈ 8:00-10:30 AM ET
π₯ Best day overall
Wednesday
π¬π§ 8:00-10:30 AM BST Β· πΊπΈ 8:00-10:30 AM ET
β
Strong performer
Thursday
π¬π§ 8:00-10:30 AM BST Β· πΊπΈ 8:00-10:30 AM ET
β
Good for follow-ups
Monday
π¬π§ 9:00-11:00 AM BST Β· πΊπΈ 9:00-11:00 AM ET
β οΈ Inbox overload β send later
Friday
β
β Avoid β low open rates
Weekends
β
β Never send β looks spammy
π‘ In Instantly: set send window to 8:00-10:30 AM, enable "Send in contact's timezone". US East (ET) and UK (BST) are the same window β just different clocks.
π Cumulative Projections (8 weeks)
| Metric | Email Only | With Multipliers |
| Total emails sent | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Total opens | 1,350 (45%) | 1,950 (65%) |
| Total replies | 60 (2%) | 150 (5%) |
| Positive replies | 24 (0.8%) | 105 (3.5%) |
| Meetings booked | 10-12 | 40-60 β
|
| Pipeline value | Β£50K-80K | Β£200K-400K |
| Closed deals | 1-2 | 4-8 |
π End-to-End Pipeline Architecture
Click any tool below to see setup tasks. Data flows left-to-right automatically once connected.
π
SOURCE
Apollo
Find leads
β‘
ENRICH
Clay
Personalise
π§
SEND
Instantly
Email sequences
π
BOOK
Cal.com
Schedule demos
π
NURTURE
Brevo
Newsletter
βοΈ Firebase β Connected
π¬ Google Chat β Connected
π§ Brevo β Connected
π¨ Instantly β Awaiting API Key
What it does: Find 500+ UK Fintech CISOs/CTOs/VP Eng matching your ICP. Export verified emails + company data.
π° $99/mo π Leads β Clay β Instantly π Weekly auto-export
What it does: Takes Apollo leads, enriches with tech stack (BuiltWith), funding data (Crunchbase), generates AI personalised opening lines.
π° $149/mo π Apollo CSV β enriched CSV π€ AI-written openers
What it does: Sends cold email sequences from 9 warmed mailboxes. Auto-rotates, throttles, tracks opens/replies/bounces. Dashboard auto-syncs via API.
π° $97/mo π Auto-syncs KPIs to dashboard π Reply β Google Chat in 30s
What it does: Booking page in your reply template. When prospect books β auto-increments pipeline.demos, fires Google Chat celebration.
π° Free π Auto-counts meetings π Google Chat alert on booking
What it does: Auto-adds anyone who replies to cold email to your newsletter list. Monthly nurture keeps Precogs top-of-mind for long sales cycles.
π° Free (300 emails/day) π Auto-add on reply π Monthly nurture
What it does: Instant alerts when a prospect replies or books a meeting. Team responds within 5 min for 21% meeting conversion.
π° Free π Reply alert in 30 seconds π± Mobile push
What it does: Real-time shared state across all team members. KPIs, checklists, pipeline β everyone sees the same data instantly.
π° Free (1GB) π Real-time sync π₯ 3 team members
What it does: Separate sending domains protect your primary precogs.ai brand. Each domain gets its own reputation, so if one gets flagged, the others keep sending.
π° ~$10/yr per domain π SPF + DKIM + DMARC π‘οΈ Brand protection
What it does: 9 mailboxes across 3 domains, connected to Instantly for warmup and sending. Each sends 30-50 emails/day β total capacity 270-450/day.
π¬ 9 mailboxes π 3 domains π 270-450 emails/day capacity π₯ 14-day warmup required
π° Monthly Stack Cost
Instantly$97
Apollo$99
Clay$149
G Workspace~$54
Domains~$3
Cal.comFree
BrevoFree
FirebaseFree
VercelFree
Total~$402/mo