I Cold-Messaged 14 AI CTOs in One Day — Here's What I'm Seeing from the Trenches

Yesterday, Monday, May 5th, 2025

SOMEWHERE IN NORTH CAROLINA

In the shadow of working a dead-end job, I decided to do what many do: set out to strike it out on my own.

Except I decided to do it differently.

Having successfully launched and closed 2 small businesses, I figured "I got this!", right?

RIGHT???

But from the couch, I knew I LITERALLY had to be different than everyone else. I am 44, recently single (Yes, I am ok), and like many others, struggling. But I have an edge: I am high energy, driven, and maybe a little bit crazy.

So I decided to REALLY go the distance and go right for the jugular so to speak.

And after doing some research and with a little help from some AI web tools (Grammarly!), I began firing off messages to some of the most powerful VC-backed CTOs and Founders in Silicon Valley - my home turf.

….

The term "Emotional Rollercoaster" does not even BEGIN to cover it.

Firing off that first message, was TERRIFYING. Then the next. And the next. And soon?

Fueled by TOP GUN MUSIC, tons of caffeine, I was sending messages again and again and again.

But lets be realistic:

The odds, statistically, are STACKED AGAINST ME.

And I can write a separate article about that, but instead, I will say this:

I ended up firing off 14 targeted outreach messages to AI startup CTOs — all in one 6-hour sprint.

Why? Because I’m not just building a product — I’m building THE freaking solution!

I run Afterburn Global Tek: a DevOps/CloudOps fireteam that deploys senior engineers for AI companies scaling fast. Our clients don’t need fluff — they need execution under pressure.

Here’s what I learned after 14 outbound hits:

🔹 Most AI infra teams are already overwhelmed by scale

🔹 Every VC-backed startup hits a growth wall at infra or delivery

🔹 The best pitch? Clear scope, clean pricing, and upfront terms — no recruiter vibes

My offer:

• U.S.-managed Cloud/DevOps teams

• $85/hr per FTE

• 6-month SLA minimum

• First month paid upfront

Not trying to be a unicorn.

I’m trying to land 1 deal that powers the engine.

From there, I scale YOU to ORBIT!

If you're scaling a GenAI product, building on LLMs, or staring down post-funding chaos — I’m happy to share my one-pager or jump on a 10-min call.

Happy to trade notes with other founders too — especially those building in the AI/devtools space. Let’s build loud, fast, and together!

Afterburners, GO!

— Will