Here's something nobody warns you about when you launch a business with "AI" and "consulting" in the description: within days, you become a magnet for a very specific kind of outreach. It's not spam in the traditional sense — no one's offering you $4.2 million from a distant relative. It's more polished than that. And that's what makes it effective.
Last week I had an experience that was equal parts absurd and educational, and I thought it was worth sharing for anyone else who's new to this.
What happened
A business development rep from an offshore software company connected with me on LinkedIn. I didn't respond to the first message. What followed was — and I say this with genuine bemusement — a masterclass in manufactured urgency.
That last one is my favorite. The confidence of rescheduling a fictional meeting. I almost respect it.
I responded once — told them clearly to stop contacting me, that I was screenshotting the exchange, and that I'd report them to LinkedIn. They apologized. I reported and blocked anyway, because the apology came after five hours of escalation and only when consequences were named.
The formula
The reason I'm writing about this isn't to complain. It's because once you see the pattern, you can't unsee it — and it's useful to name it for people who haven't encountered it yet. This is a specific, repeatable outreach formula that's common in offshore BD, and it works by exploiting the politeness and open-mindedness of new business owners.
Contact the target on every platform you can find — phone, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, email — within a tight window. Volume creates the illusion of importance.
Never explain what you're offering or why the call matters. Focus entirely on logistics — when, where, which link. This keeps you in "scheduling" mode instead of "evaluating" mode.
Send calendar invites and Zoom links before any agreement. Use language like "our call" and "I've rescheduled" to imply a commitment that doesn't exist.
Treat non-response as a scheduling problem, not a "no." Follow up every 2–3 hours with increasing urgency. If one channel goes quiet, try the next one.
When the target finally pushes back, apologize immediately and move on to the next name on the list. The system is built for volume, not relationships.
I want to be clear: this isn't about offshore companies being bad. Plenty of excellent development shops operate globally. This is about a specific tactic — one that treats your calendar like public property and your silence like a scheduling conflict.
Why new business owners are the target
When you're new, everything feels like it could be an opportunity. Someone wants to get on a call? Maybe they're a lead. Maybe they know someone. Maybe this is how partnerships start. You're in "yes" mode because you're building — and people running this playbook are counting on that instinct.
They're also counting on something subtler: the social discomfort of ignoring a message. Most people who are actively networking feel a pull to respond to every DM. So you give them 15 minutes on a Zoom, and by the time you realize it's a cold pitch for services you didn't ask about, you've already lost the time.
The tell is always the same: all logistics, no value. If someone is working hard to get you on a call but hasn't explained why the call matters, the call isn't for you. It's for them.
How to report and block on LinkedIn
If this happens to you, here's the exact flow. It takes about thirty seconds, and the other person is not notified.
Go to Messaging and click on the conversation with the person you want to report.
In the top-right corner of the conversation window, click the ⋯ icon. Select Report this conversation from the dropdown.
LinkedIn will ask you to categorize the report. For aggressive, unwanted, repeated outreach after you've asked them to stop, Harassment is the correct category.
The report screen will also give you the option to block. Do both. They can't message you, view your profile, or find you in search. They won't be notified.
Before you hit submit, check this box. LinkedIn will email you with the outcome of their review.
Screenshot the full conversation first. Once you block someone, the thread may become inaccessible. If the behavior continues on other platforms, you'll want documentation.
Three things I'm doing differently now
I moved my phone number. My personal cell was findable through my LinkedIn profile and website. I set up a separate number for business inquiries and pulled the real one from anything public-facing. Took five minutes.
I stopped treating silence as rude. Not responding to an unsolicited message from a stranger is not rude — it's neutral. If someone earns a response through relevance and respect, they'll get one. But the default is silence, and that's okay.
I started asking one question earlier. Before I accept any intro call, I now ask: "Can you share a brief note on what you'd like to discuss and how it's relevant to what I'm building?" The people with real opportunities are happy to answer. The people running a volume play won't bother — and that's the filter working.
The best boundary you can set as a new business owner is a simple qualifying question. It costs you nothing and saves you everything.
Six weeks in, I'm learning that building a business isn't just about saying yes to the right things. It's about building the reflexes to spot the wrong ones — quickly, without guilt, and ideally with a good story to tell afterward.
— L.