Internal · Moat surface

The Moat

Every send improves the next. Every reply tightens the model.

This is what 1,000 users tagging their outcomes looks like. Wall Street Prep doesn’t have this. We do — because every cycle rebuilds it. The numbers below come straight from the aggregator at lib/moat/aggregator.ts, reading the same outcome rows the autopilot reads when it picks your next 5 alumni each morning.

Total sends

Reply rate

19.8%

Distinct templates

Alumni measured

Moat snapshot

From 96 sends across the network

Best template this week

5aa6cd32b832 · 42% reply

initial · warm · n=12

High-signal pick

Alex Miller · 50% reply

Evercore · n=6

Avoid

warm → Goldman Sachs · only 0%

n=12

What's working

Top-performing email templates

Top 5, ranked by reply rate. Each row is one fingerprint — bodies are anonymized examples.

FingerprintKind / toneReplyCallOffernBest for

5aa6cd32b832initial · warm41.7%25.0%0.0%12Evercore, Moelis, Guggenheim

Hi [Name],

Saw your background — fellow Vandy alum, now in Consumer & Retail at [Firm]. I'm a junior recruiting for IB and Consumer & Retail is the area I keep coming back to.

Would you be open to a 15-min call sometime in the next two weeks? Happy to work around your schedule.

Thanks,
[Name]

92915484839einitial · warm31.3%12.5%0.0%16BofA Securities, Evercore, Guggenheim

Hi [Name],

I had a great conversation with Robert Henderson last week about the Consumer & Retail group at [Firm]. He suggested I reach out to you for a junior perspective on the day-to-day.

Would you have 20 minutes in the next couple weeks for a quick call?

Best,
[Name]

041d1518d11cinitial · direct25.0%25.0%0.0%4Goldman Sachs

Hi [Name],

I read about [Firm]'s recent Real Estate transaction and wanted to reach out. I'm preparing for IB recruiting and that deal is a great example of the work I want to be doing.

Could I ask you a few quick questions over a 20-min call? I'll keep it tight.

Best,
[Name]

184ce0b54a61follow up_2 · direct25.0%0.0%0.0%4Goldman Sachs

Hi [Name],

Last note from me — I know inboxes are loud. If a 10-min call isn't realistic, even a one-line answer to "what's the single most useful thing I could do this semester to recruit at [Firm]" would help.

Thanks for considering,
[Name]

8d29e4614383follow up_1 · warm18.8%12.5%0.0%16Evercore, Guggenheim, Moelis

Hi [Name],

Just floating this back up in case it slipped through. Totally understand if the timing is bad — happy to keep it to 15 minutes whenever works.

Thanks,
[Name]

Format-specific winners

Best template per kind

Which structure wins for cold opens, first follow-ups, and second follow-ups.

initial

41.7%

reply rate · n=12

Tone: warm

5aa6cd32b832

follow up_1

18.8%

reply rate · n=16

Tone: warm

8d29e4614383

follow up_2

25.0%

reply rate · n=4

Tone: direct

184ce0b54a61

Network effect — alumni

High-signal alumni

Sample size ≥ 5, reply rate ≥ 30%. These get boosted in suggestions across the platform.

AlumniFirmReplyLatencynBest signal

Alex MillerVP · HealthcareEvercore50%57h6warm · initial
James WrightAnalyst · Consumer & RetailMoelis50%57.3h6warm · initial
Grace NguyenMD · RestructuringGuggenheim50%33h6warm · initial
Jordan ChenAnalyst · M&AGoldman Sachs33%22h6direct · initial
Sophia GarciaDirector · HealthcareBofA Securities33%9h6direct · initial
Ava AdamsAnalyst · IndustrialsEvercore33%18h6warm · initial
Harper LeeDirector · SponsorsMoelis33%40h6warm · initial

Network effect — alumni

Dormant alumni

Sample size ≥ 5, reply rate < 5%. These get downranked everywhere — no point burning sends here.

AlumniFirmReplyLatencynBest signal

Benjamin WhiteAssociate · EnergyGuggenheim0%—6warm · initial
Hazel KingAnalyst · Real EstateGoldman Sachs0%—6warm · initial
Asher KimMD · M&ABofA Securities0%—6warm · initial
Mia RobinsonAssociate · FIGMoelis0%—6warm · initial
Caleb MartinezDirector · RestructuringGoldman Sachs0%—6warm · initial
Isabella HarrisAssociate · FIGEvercore0%—6warm · initial
Julian WilsonVP · Capital MarketsGoldman Sachs0%—6warm · initial

Hi [Name], Saw your background — fellow Vandy alum, now in Consumer & Retail at [Firm]. I'm a junior recruiting for IB and Consumer & Retail is the area I keep coming back to. Would you be open to a 15-min call sometime in the next two weeks? Happy to work around your schedule. Thanks, [Name]

Hi [Name], I had a great conversation with Robert Henderson last week about the Consumer & Retail group at [Firm]. He suggested I reach out to you for a junior perspective on the day-to-day. Would you have 20 minutes in the next couple weeks for a quick call? Best, [Name]

Hi [Name], I read about [Firm]'s recent Real Estate transaction and wanted to reach out. I'm preparing for IB recruiting and that deal is a great example of the work I want to be doing. Could I ask you a few quick questions over a 20-min call? I'll keep it tight. Best, [Name]

Hi [Name], Last note from me — I know inboxes are loud. If a 10-min call isn't realistic, even a one-line answer to "what's the single most useful thing I could do this semester to recruit at [Firm]" would help. Thanks for considering, [Name]