​
How to know if an overlap is worth mentioning in a cold email

An overlap is worth mentioning if: Rare: the overlap is uncommon enough that mentioning it feels genuinely surprising. (Both went to Harvard = common, both raised llamas as kids = rare.) Specific: it’s precise and clear, not general or vague. (Both interested in “startups” = vague, both wrote about why growth hacking failed at Airbnb = specific.) Relevant: it meaningfully connects you to the reason you’re emailing. (Both play pickleball ≠ relevant, both run cold-email startups = relevant.) Authentic: you genuinely care about it. People spot insincerity instantly. (Shared hometown only helps if you actually care about that town.) In short, a good overlap is surprising, clear, meaningful, and real. If you wouldn’t be excited talking about it in person, don’t put it in the email.