How to write a lead nurturing email using the Hard Thing template

Executive overview

Leads who sign up but haven't bought yet are problem aware — they know they have a problem but don't know your product solves it. This email template bridges that gap by moving them from problem aware to early product aware in a single email.

The Hard Thing template structures an email around one feature or product, using a question-based subject line, a wrong-way example, and a clear answer that introduces the product — without pitching too hard.

The core insight: write the bottom of the email first — know where you're taking the reader before you write the hook.

What you need before writing

• A feature or product to sell leads on
• Its value proposition (the outcome it delivers)
• The core problem it solves ("the hard thing")
• Examples of failed solutions your prospects have already tried

Email structure: the Hard Thing template

1. Subject line: "How do you [value prop]?" — open-ended, makes the reader feel the gap
2. H1: "Still [wrong way to do the thing]?" — a specific example of the wrong approach
3. H2: "Start by [your answer]" — directly answers the subject line
4. Product section: explain the H2, show how your solution delivers it, add proof (gif, data, feature name)
5. Problem and agitation section: mirror the prospect's current reality — what they're trying, why it fails
6. CTA: primary and secondary, appropriate to early product awareness stage

Writing order

• Start with the product section (below the H2), not the subject line or hook
• Fill in the problem and agitation section after the product section is done
• Write the subject line and headlines last, once you know where the email goes
• Review: confirm the subject line question is clearly answered inside the email

Key principles

• Every element answers the subject line question — no bait-and-switch
• Name a specific feature; vague product references won't build belief
• The problem section holds a mirror up to the prospect's life — use real VOC language
• List the failed solutions they've already tried before introducing yours
• Let the draft sit before editing
• Primary CTA targets early product aware prospects; secondary CTA offers more nurturing content