warm intro
/wɔːrm ˈɪntroʊ/
CommonAn introduction made through a mutual contact who vouches for you to someone you want to meet.
Highly valued in startups, VC, and professional networking. The quality of the intro depends on how well the connector actually knows both parties.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Don't cold email that partner. Ask Sarah for a warm intro. She went to school with him. | Use a mutual connection rather than reaching out cold. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | Got a warm intro to the hiring manager last week. Interview is Thursday. | A mutual contact connected them to the person making hiring decisions. | linkedin, 2024 |
| 03 | The investor said he only takes warm intros. No cold emails. | The investor requires a trusted mutual connection before considering any outreach. | reddit, 2024 |
| 04 | I asked him for a warm intro but he gave me a lukewarm intro. Basically just cc'd us on an email and said 'you two should connect'. | The introduction lacked a real vouching or personal recommendation. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- A mutual contact agrees to introduce you to someone you want to meet.
- You ask someone in your network to bridge you to a person they know.
- You get access to a founder, investor, or hiring manager through a shared contact.
Do not use it when
- You reach out to someone directly without any mutual connection.Use “cold email” instead.
- You are introduced at an event with no follow-up relationship expected.
Variations and related forms
Warm intro vs cold email
warm intro
A warm intro uses a shared connection to open the door for you.
VS
cold-email
A cold email goes directly to the person with no prior relationship.
Origin and context
Borrowed from sales and marketing, where 'warm' distinguished prospects with some prior relationship from 'cold' unknowns. Became standard vocabulary in startup and VC culture during the 2010s.
- First seen
- 2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/warm-introUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0