People often reach out to me for help or business conversations. Over time I’ve noticed a few recurring patterns that make it hard for me to respond well. This page is a quick reference for how to get the best out of an interaction with me.
I spent years in the Bay Area, where direct communication and clear asks were the norm. Moving back to Central Europe, I noticed different defaults even in business settings—more relationship-building upfront, more indirectness. I value parts of both, but for work I prefer direct and efficient.
This document describes how I prefer to interact professionally. It’s not about gatekeeping or being judgmental—it’s about getting to the meaty parts of an interaction faster. It’s not an absolute position that this is the best way to interact for everyone.
If your message is missing key context, I may reply with a link to the relevant section here so we can reset quickly.
I used to say yes to almost everything but over time I was forced to become more selective due to the sheer number of requests, DMs, proposals, etc.
One exception to my usual selectiveness: Warsaw AI Breakfast, which I co-organize. It happens every three weeks and is my open slot for meeting anyone who shows up. If you want face time without the email preamble, that’s the place.
TL;DR
- Be specific. Vague requests require me to guess what you need. Specific questions get faster, better responses.
- Email works best. For anything that requires thought (intros, advice, collaboration), email is where I’m most organized. DMs on LinkedIn / X / WhatsApp are easy for me to miss.
- Async exchange first. I rarely take meetings without exchanging a few emails. See below for more details.
- For intros, send me a blurb about yourself. I do double opt-in introductions. Make it easy for me by writing what I’ll forward.
- Close the loop. If I helped you, let me know what happened within 2-4 weeks, even if the answer is “went a different direction.”
- Follow up if you don’t hear back. A polite nudge after a week often works. It’s not personal—I probably missed it.
Asking for Feedback or Advice
What works well:
“I’m building an AI tool for small business inventory management and would value your perspective on whether the technical approach is sound. Here’s a 2-minute demo [link]—any thoughts on the AI engineering methods or whether AI capabilities are a match for the go-to-market I’m thinking about?”
This is specific, gives me context, tells me exactly what kind of input you want, and falls within areas I know something about.
What doesn’t work:
“Can you give me feedback on my startup?”
This puts the burden on me to figure out what you need. I’d have to guess whether you want product feedback, technical tips, thoughts on the go-to-market, fundraising advice, cofounder setup or something else entirely. If the effort to understand your ask is too high, I probably won’t respond out of lack of time.
What to expect from me:
If your ask is clear and within my wheelhouse, I aim to respond within a few days—even if the answer is “I’m not the right person for this” or “I’m too busy with my own work to help you out at the moment.” If it requires more thought, it may take longer, or I may decline. Sometimes the best response I can give is pointing you to something I’ve already written.
Requesting an introduction
I do double opt-in introductions. When you ask me for an intro, I check with the other person first if they’re interested in connecting. Only when both sides agree do I connect you.
What I need from you:
A short blurb I can copy-paste—written as if I wrote it about you. This isn’t me being lazy; it’s me being realistic about what I’ll actually do and addressing the nagging thought that I might misrepresent you. Writing your own blurb also forces clarity about who you are and what you want.
Template for your request to me:
“Hi Greg, I’d love an intro to [Person] to explore [topic].
Here is the blurb for you to forward:
[Your Name] is a [role] at [company] working on [project]. They have [relevant experience] and are particularly interested in [topic] because [reason]. You can see their work here: [link].”
Draft the paragraph describing yourself in the third person so I can paste it directly after “Meet [Name]…”
Template I’ll forward (I will copy-paste your blurb):
“Hi [Person A], meet [Person B].
[I paste your blurb here].
[Person B], meet [Person A], who has deep expertise in [relevant area]. I thought you might have an interesting exchange around [topic]. I’ll let you both take it from here.”
The whole blurb should be less than 100 words. Rule of thumb: the whole email should fit on 2/3rd of the iPhone screen.
When I connect you, you respond to the thread and move me to BCC. You can use a line like “Thanks Greg for the introduction. In the interest of limiting the traffic in your inbox, I’ll move you to BCC.”
What doesn’t work:
Asking for an intro without context, without explaining why you want to connect, or expecting me to write the introduction from scratch.
Proposing a Meeting
I rarely do in-person meetings—especially “coffee chats” or “pick your brain” sessions—as a first interaction. Even if we have common friends in the network.
How I decide on meetings:
I prefer to learn about your interests, the kind of questions you ask, and whether there’s genuine mutual benefit over email first. If the exchange has the energy of a growing conversation, we’ll arrive at the idea of a meeting naturally.
What doesn’t work:
“Would love to grab coffee and pick your brain about AI!”
This is too open-ended, requires significant time commitment upfront, and gives me no signal about whether the conversation will be valuable for either of us.
What works better:
Start with a specific question or topic via email. If the exchange develops into something that warrants a longer conversation, we’ll both know it. The starting point can be as small as asking a single question, or commenting on something I wrote and you liked, or showing me something you built or wrote.
On consulting:
I’m occasionally open to time-bounded paid consulting on product, tech, or investment topics. If that’s what you’re looking for, reach out via email for pricing.
Following Up When You Haven’t Heard Back
If you don’t hear from me, it’s usually one of three things: I missed your email, the ask wasn’t clear enough for me to respond quickly, or I couldn’t help and failed to say so.
What to do:
A polite follow-up after a week is welcome—and often effective. If you can add more specificity to your original ask, even better.
What to expect:
If your email clearly doesn’t follow these guidelines, you’ll get a short response pointing you here. That’s not a brush-off; it’s an attempt to reset the conversation toward something more productive.
After We’ve Interacted (Closing the Loop)
One of my frustrations: investing time in giving advice or making an introduction, then never hearing what happened.
What works best:
A brief update within 2-4 weeks. It can be short:
“Talked to [Person]—we’re exploring a pilot together. Thanks for the intro.”
“Decided to go a different direction on the architecture, but your feedback helped clarify the tradeoffs.”
“Didn’t end up pursuing this, but appreciate you taking the time.”
This isn’t about gratitude (though it’s nice). It’s about feedback loops. I learn what advice actually lands, which types of people hit it off, and it makes me more likely to help in the future.
My Communication Style
I believe in strong opinions, weakly held. I prefer clarity and sharp thinking, with the understanding that views can change with new information. If my communication seems direct and to the point, I’m usually seeking clarity rather than being confrontational.
If I can’t help:
I’ll tell you directly, usually with a brief reason or a suggestion of who might be better suited. A clear no isn’t personal—it’s respect for both of our time.
Why This Document Exists
I believe in pay-it-forward culture and genuinely enjoy helping when I can. But I’ve also learned that protecting focus time is what allows me to provide real value when I do engage. These guidelines help me balance being open to new people and ideas with being able to do my own work.
If you’ve read this far and you’re thinking about reaching out—go for it. Just be specific.