# Getting started

FounderDB finds people who just launched a product and helps you start real conversations with them. Set it up in this order — each step takes a few minutes, and the later ones depend on the earlier ones.

## The simple setup

| | Domain | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Receive replies | `yourdomain.com` | replies to `anything@yourdomain.com` |
| Send outreach | `mail.yourdomain.com` | from `hello@mail.yourdomain.com` |

One domain, two roles: Cloudflare catches replies on the domain itself, and a `mail.` subdomain does the sending, so its reputation is kept separate.

## 1. Catch replies on your domain

Replies are the point of outreach, so set this up first. We recommend Cloudflare Email Routing on your domain (replies go to `anything@yourdomain.com`): replies reach FounderDB (so sequences stop and your inbox updates) and a copy lands in your normal mailbox.

**Easiest:** ask your AI agent (e.g. Claude Code connected to FounderDB) to *"set up Cloudflare receiving for my FounderDB replies"* — it deploys everything with `wrangler` after a few questions. → [Automatic setup](https://founderdb.co/docs/receiving-cloudflare.md#automatic-setup), or [set it up by hand](https://founderdb.co/docs/receiving-cloudflare.md#manual-setup).

## 2. Add a sending mailbox

Pick one — or use both:

| | Best for | Daily volume |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Amazon SES](https://founderdb.co/docs/sending-ses.md) | Outreach at volume from your own domain | Starts at 50/day, grows to 300/day over a week (after SES production access) |
| [Gmail](https://founderdb.co/docs/sending-gmail.md) | A few personal, high-trust emails a day | Starts at 10/day, +5/day up to 50 |

FounderDB spreads sends across every verified mailbox and never sends outside your sequence's send window.

## 3. Add your AI key (optional, recommended)

*Outreach → Settings → AI for replies*. With a key, sequences can write AI emails, classify replies by intent, and the inbox suggests replies. Without one, use templates.

## 4. Create your sequence

A sequence is the plan: which emails go out, how long to wait, and what happens when someone replies. Start from [the recommended sequence](https://founderdb.co/docs/recommended-sequence.md) — a first email, two follow-ups a week apart, and every reply handed to you. Mark it **default** so new contacts go into it.

→ [How sequences work](https://founderdb.co/docs/sequences.md)

## 5. Add contacts

- **Automatically:** turn on *Launch auto-enroll* on the *Webhooks* page. Every 30 minutes, makers from new launches with a safe-to-send email are added as contacts and enrolled in your default sequence.
- **From past launches:** *Outreach → Contacts → Import previous data*.
- **One at a time:** enroll a contact from their page, or ask your AI agent to.

## 6. Connect Claude (optional)

Let Claude triage replies, draft and send answers, plan your sequence with you, and keep your to-dos — every action labelled as the agent's.

→ [AI agents (MCP)](https://founderdb.co/docs/mcp.md)

## 7. Work the inbox

*Outreach → Inbox → To do* lists every conversation that needs you: new replies, failed sends, broken mailboxes. Reply, add a note, mark it done or snooze it.