Side Hustle School Ep. 3246 - TBT: Recruiters Pay Me to Tear Apart Their Emails
Nov 20, 2025
Sean Markham, a marketing and copywriting expert, shares how he transformed a collection of standout recruiter outreach emails into a profitable business. He reveals the inspiration behind creating an organized swipe file of these emails, which he marketed as a subscription service. Transitioning to selling verified contact lists, he highlights the importance of targeting the right leads rather than merely offering templates. His journey exemplifies how a clever side hustle can flourish with the right approach and insights.
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From Saved Emails To A Product
- Sean Markham collected and annotated recruiter emails while between gigs and kept the best examples for reference.
- He turned that folder of polished outreach into a product after a recruiter friend said their team couldn't write like that.
Launch Cheap To Validate Demand
- Build a focused product around a clear need and price it so early customers can validate demand.
- Sean launched The Recruiter's Cold Email Vault at $39 on Gumroad to test market interest quickly.
Templates Were Lead Gen, Lists Were Product
- Templates attracted interest but buyers wanted actionable leads more than generic copy.
- Sean pivoted from templates to selling verified contact lists and the lists became the main revenue driver.