06 Mar 2026
Cold emailing is less and less effective. It's better to build relationships and connections in person.
Our topic this week was cold emailing. The conversation developed into touching upon finding work more broadly, networking, the importance of humanity in an AI world.
We've gathered the key points and notes from the session, so you can refer back for future reference, or if you're weren't able to join, learn from your fellow freelancers.
Almost everyone in the room said the same thing unprompted: the last year or two has been noticeably harder. Not just for people starting out - for people with 15 years of experience, deep specialist skills, and well-established reputations. If you're struggling right now, that's not a personal failing. The market has genuinely shifted. The era of work landing in your lap has gone. Which means that spending time on outreach, visibility and relationship-building isn't optional - it's part of the job, running alongside the actual work. 10-15% percent of your week, consistently, whether you're busy or not.
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