Jason Levin’s Playbook for Targeting a16z and YC Alumni using LinkedIn Connections

Jason Levin, the creator of the Cyber Patterns newsletter, recently shared his smart growth hack on Edward Sturm’s podcast.

He uses automation tools like PhantomBuster to connect with potential customers and grow his audience. His approach is simple, targeted, and effective.

PhantomBuster automates tasks on LinkedIn, such as sending connection requests and follow-up messages.

Jason created a "phantom" (an automated workflow) to connect with users who mention specific terms in their profiles.

For example, he targeted individuals with "a16z" or "Andreessen Horowitz" in their bios. This included people who work at a16z or have received funding from them.

Once a connection was made, the phantom sent a message inviting them to check out Cyber Patterns, Jason’s newsletter focused on startup growth. This strategy led to a significant number of sign-ups from venture capitalists and potential clients.

Jason also applied this method to Y Combinator (YC) alumni. Many YC graduates include their class information, such as "YCS24" (YCombinator Summer 2024 Batch) or "YCW24" (YCombinator Winter 2024 Batch) in their profiles. By setting up a phantom to connect with these individuals, Jason consistently reached a highly relevant audience.

The system makes around 20 new connections per day, which may seem small but added up over time, resulting in new subscribers and customers.

A key part of Jason’s strategy is keeping the process natural. Instead of sending a message with the initial connection request — which can feel spammy — he sends a blank request like you would do to a friend.

Once the connection is accepted, PhantomBuster delivers a follow-up message (‘Hey, did you get a chance to check out my newsletter?’) with a link to Cyber Patterns.

This approach feels more authentic and avoids the pitfalls of overly aggressive outreach.

This method demonstrates how targeted LinkedIn automation, when used thoughtfully, can help grow a newsletter without resorting to spammy tactics. Jason’s calm and strategic approach has made Cyber Patterns a valuable resource for startup founders and investors alike.

Top Tweets of the day

1/

AG1 didn't fail. It made $100m+ in profit for the owners which is more than successful.

However, you shouldn't rely on one channel when you have a business making $10m+ per year.

Pinterest's first growth hack was to target mommy bloggers. Then they diversified and used Google Images to rank on Google for SEO.

Every big company often diversifies to 2 or 3 channels once it becomes a certain size.

If a founder makes the mistake of depending on 1 channel for all their revenue, they learn the lesson the hard way by losing their entire business.

Joe Speiser lost his $100m business and had to let go of 110 employees because he didn't diversify and depended only on Facebook.

If TikTok gets banned, many entrepreneurs will learn this hard lesson. The good thing is they will never forget the lesson.

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His answer is chilling indeed.

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