“It was a pain,” he says. “And not the kind you forget quickly.”
When Alexis looks back at how he started, he describes it as chaotic but full of learning.
A few years ago, Alexis Lacabane, co-founder of One Thousand Pieces, had the ideas and the drive, BUT….. not the tools.
Cold email didn’t come easy in the beginning. The process was messy, and learning came mostly from doing (and redoing) things that didn’t work the first time.
DNS settings, broken inboxes, random bounces, you name it, he dealt with it.
He was leading sales at a French startup, building outbound campaigns from scratch, and figuring out cold email by trial and error. The tools weren’t great.
Deliverability was hit-or-miss, and the outreach process involved more guessing than strategy. They worked with lookalike audiences and scraped together results, but there was no system. Just effort, and a lot of manual fixes.
“The biggest problem for outreach was that you had no easy way to get started. You had to know how to set up DNS records”.
Like most folks joining Smartlead in 2025, Alexis chuckles, “have no idea how to set up DNS records”.....and thank goodness for that, because Smartlead made that headache history.
Alexis has been in the game long enough to know what wasn’t working. Manual setup, shaky deliverability, endless hours tweaking DNS settings, but none of it was sustainable. What he needed was a platform that could actually keep up with how fast he wanted to build.
That platform turned out to be Smartlead. This case study breaks down exactly how he made the switch, what changed, and how it helped him drive results for names like Capitalize.io, InfoPay, and Orb. And yep, he shares some raw opinions too.
At a certain point, Alexis knew he needed something better. Managing multiple clients was getting messy, and he didn’t want to pay thousands every month just to slap his logo on a platform. He needed something flexible and clean.
“I was looking for a very efficient way to kind of white label without paying the 2.5K retainer”
That’s when he found Smartlead. What caught his attention first was the client access. It wasn’t fully white label, but as Alexis put it, it was “white label enough” to get the job done. And that’s all he needed. Clients could log in, track their own performance, and understand how everything worked.
No confusion, no tab overload. But client access was only part of it. What really stood out was deliverability.
From the beginning, Smartlead enabled us to build client access. Everything has been driven around making people like us revenue.
It wasn’t flashy, it just worked. And that’s what made Smartlead a long-term solution for Alexis.
Deliverability used to be one of those things Alexis constantly had to watch. Miss a setting, and suddenly your emails were vanishing into spam. He’s said it before, if you’re not landing in the inbox, nothing else really matters.
That changed when he switched to Smartlead. The structure of the platform made a big difference. Instead of managing servers, domains, and mailboxes separately, he could do it all in one place. It made scaling easier and a lot less stressful.
He also appreciated how thoughtful the warm-up system was. Emails weren’t just sent at random. The patterns mimicked real behavior, and things like skipping weekends added an extra layer of authenticity that helped with inbox placement.
To test what messaging worked best, Alexis used Smartlead’s Spintax feature. It allowed him to rotate value props and figure out which version resonated most, all without having to manage separate campaigns.
And on top of all that, Smartlead’s client access was clean and simple. Alexis gave clients the visibility they needed to understand what was happening and why, which made it easier to align on goals.
“I’ve seen the evolution of the tool, and it perfectly aligns with how I evolved myself in my business.”
That’s how Alexis described his journey with Smartlead. The work Alexis does today looks very different from where he started. What was once a lead gen shop gradually became a full GTM operation. Smartlead was a big part of this shift.
As Alexis explained, his own growth as a founder felt mirrored by the evolution of the tool. His team, now spread across Europe, supports B2B scale-ups in the US as well as early-stage startups across Europe. They blend automation, AI, and data tools like Clay and Heyreach to build systems that run smoothly in the background.
In Alexis’ workflow, GTM engineering is all about process. His team scrapes lead data, enriches it, qualifies prospects, and moves them through automated flows that run daily, weekly, and monthly. Smartlead fits right into that mix by handling outbound at scale—and doing it well.
“It’s less sales-driven than it is marketing-driven”
That’s where Smartlead helped again, it gave him the freedom to build targeted campaigns based on real content and intent, not just cold pitches.
Alexis doesn’t just talk the talk. He’s got the numbers to back it up. His agency has delivered jaw-dropping results for clients across industries, from massive TAMs to hyper-targeted niches.
Capitalize.io, a CRE database for refinancing opportunities, needed to bombard the market with a high-volume campaign.
A familiar name, a compelling product, and a big TAM meant they needed to move fast. Smartlead's infrastructure let Alexis go from 100 to 350 mailboxes in two weeks, without compromising deliverability.
They relied on Clay for lead scraping, added Spintax to test different angles, and kept messaging simple and direct. One email just started with, “It’s Luke. You know, I’ve built several businesses you’ve heard about. I’m building this new one, Capitalize.” And it worked.
InfoPay took a more focused approach. The product was designed for markets with specific banking issues, so Alexis' team had to come up with a hyper-specific copy to reflect that.
“We work with those agencies in your geography. They’re saving 50K a year on transfer fees”.
Alexis built messaging around real pain points, like saving money on transfers, and, Smartlead helped ensure those emails landed where they were supposed to. The campaign returned a 5% reply rate, with over 50% of replies being positive, which is rare in targeted campaigns like this.
Alexis kept it light when explaining the Orb campaigns. “We were just sending messages like, Hey, we’re working with Versal. I know you’re using the tool. We do pricing and billing systems. Hit me up on LinkedIn if you think this is valuable.”
The idea wasn’t to push or sell too hard, it was about showing up in a helpful, non-intrusive way. What worked here wasn’t volume, it was tone. Alexis knew that a well-placed, friendly note could go a long way. The messaging felt more like a tap on the shoulder than a sales pitch.
And because Smartlead handled all the behind-the-scenes logistics, his team could focus on crafting messages that sounded human, not automated.
Alexis isn’t one to sugarcoat things. He has been using Smartlead for a long time, and he’s seen it grow from a scrappy tool into something more polished.
"I was probably one of the first to check out Vaibhav’s video on ‘this is my new interface.’ He was so happy about showing off Smartlead,” he recalled with a smile.
Here’s his take on what makes Smartlead shine and where it could level up:
First off, Alexis is a huge fan of client access. Thanks to this feature, he doesn’t have to jump through hoops to share access.
It’s not fully white-labeled, but in his words, “it’s white label enough to serve the purpose.” It gives him an easy way to let clients view their campaigns without losing control over the backend.
He also appreciates how Smartlead handles infrastructure. Servers, domains, and mailboxes are all built in layers, and that structure makes it easier to manage large campaigns without stress. As he put it, “the ability to build this pyramid... is the best of the best.”
He’s also shared how consistent the warmup system has been: “The warmup has always been a strong feature... it has improved tremendously over time.”
Weekday-only sends, steady ramp-ups, and a design that mimics real human behavior made it easy to trust. Small things like avoiding weekend sends helped improve results without adding complexity, he believes.
Deliverability has always been at the center of Alexis’ workflow. “All of our infrastructures are run on Smartlead,” he shared. No matter how many tools he adds to the mix, Smartlead is the one he counts on to make sure messages land where they should.
Like anyone who works hands-on with a tool every day, Alexis has a few ideas for how Smartlead could get even better.
“A lot of customers want to know exactly how many leads were touched,” Alexis says. Right now, that means pulling data manually or doing some extra tracking outside the platform. A more visual, detailed dashboard would make those conversations way easier.
He’s also pointed out how useful a dedicated deliverability dashboard would be. Warmup is a core part of getting results, but there’s still a bit of mystery around how inbox health is tracked. “It would be extremely helpful if we had a dedicated interface,” he added.
Another feature he’d love to see in Smartlead is automated lead enrichment. He mentioned, “It would add a lot of value because then people will be able to look at the reply and be like, okay, this guy is doing this.” Just having that extra layer of info, like job title or company, can make follow-ups feel more intentional.
One last thing he brought up was CRM-style tracking. Alexis laughed while describing it: “It’s the dumbest thing ever… just like four blocks and here you go.”
But even a basic setup like that could go a long way for teams who want a quick snapshot of what’s happening.
1. Deliverability matters more than anything else
If your emails aren’t hitting the inbox, nothing else matters. Smartlead’s warmup engine, domain setup, and Spintax support made that easier to manage.
2. Outbound is leaning into marketing
It’s about timing, relevance, and content, NOT volume. Alexis adapted by focusing on intent-based messaging, and Smartlead gave him the flexibility to do that well.
3. Scaling doesn’t have to be messy
Whether you’re sending to thousands or running a tight, focused list, the platform helped him scale without friction.
4. Clients like seeing what’s going on
Having a clear dashboard and campaign access gave them confidence in the process.
5. Simple tools are easier to adapt
Smartlead kept things lightweight, which helped Alexis stay agile as outbound trends evolved.
Alexis’ journey shows what’s possible when you have the right tools in place. Smartlead wasn’t just another software in the stack. It became the system that helped his agency grow, stay organized, and deliver results at scale.
As Alexis put it, “Smartlead and outreach go hand in hand.” And coming from someone who’s tested more tools than most, it’s hard to argue.
If your team is hitting limits with current tools or struggling to stay consistent, it might be time to try Smartlead to build something scalable and sustainable for long-term growth.
Join us to elevate your outreach!
Founder, StackOptimise
Smartlead's combination of automation, unlimited inboxes, and easy campaign management has completely transformed how we run cold email campaigns.
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Founder, Cold Email Hackers
We have about 15 companies and we use Smartlead for all of them.
Founder, DutchSave Media
One of the things I love about using Smartlead is the deliverability feature. If they landed in the bounce or spam folders, we could resolve this quickly.
Co-Founder, Growth Today
I want to continue to use Smartlead to make operations more seamless - the plan is to bring more clients here and build more SOPs.
Founder, FueltoFly
Smartlead listens to the agencies and customers and builds according to what people want, that has really made things easier for us.
Founder, OutboundSync
We build an infrastructure product, and OutboundSync communicates with Smartlead itself. I love the webhook and API. They're really well done and keep getting better.
Founder, Axoleads
With SmartDelivery, you can put all of that in the hands of the tool. It ensures your emails land in inboxes, and by running a simple test, you can see if you're hitting the mark.
Founder, Claygen
Deliverability is the cornerstone of cold email outreach. You could have the best email copy in the world, but if no one is seeing it, it's useless. I really love the feature where you can actually give client accesses to your clients.
Co-Founder, Cymate
I do not want to switch to another software. Pick a solution you trust, stick with it, and keep refining your copy.
CMO, Avalanche Capital
Managing large volumes of emails through multiple inboxes used to be a logistical nightmare. With Smartlead, the process is seamless. We book thousands of discovery calls through cold emails. These campaigns are generating leads at a scale we never thought possible.
Founder, Growth Engine X
We came for the unlimited inboxes, and we stayed for the API. 1.5M cold emails/month, 7,767+ inboxes managed.
Head of Community & Ecosystem, TxtCart
You cannot replace having 10,000 touches with potential clients. When you have that much distribution and reach, you really start to see incredible results. The simplicity of Smartlead made all the difference. It doesn't require you to be a technical wizard.
Founder, Hyperke
Smartlead has been a game-changer for us. It increased our appointment volume, improved ease of use, and offered valuable features. 80% increase in appointments/month, peak of 276 appointments in a single month.
Founder, Kinetyca
Smartlead has been our cold email backbone from day one. The platform evolves constantly, keeping pace with how deliverability and personalization need to work today. 21% overall reply rate, $175K in 4 months for multiple B2B clients.
Founder, Reachflow
Smartlead is centered around deliverability and constantly evolving. Their API is not like any other platform. Smartlead covers all our needs. The focus on core features like deliverability and API integration is unmatched.
CEO, Halfwarm
Our approach to crafting conversational emails led to reply rates that many of my peers thought were unattainable.
Co-Founder, letstrike
We've grown on zero capital, zero marketing, purely cold emailing - and that's the story we love to tell. The best approach is no approach if you can't handle domain meltdown. The second best is something like Smartlead that's built from the ground up for deliverability at scale.
Founder, Fenixtal
Smartlead's white-labeling and automation let us punch above our weight. The 12M euros sales potential? That's what happens when you combine human creativity with Smartlead's precision.
Co-Founder, Digital Creativs
Nine out of 10. Ninety percent of our clients are on Smartlead unless they come in with an existing setup. That's the default.
Co-Founder, BuildingReach
At the end of the day, you have to take a bet on one tool or another. It was a no-brainer taking that bet on Smartlead. We had to even turn down the volume of our marketing campaigns - Smartlead was capable of driving more volume than our sales team was able to fulfill.
Founder & MD, Prospectiv
Since starting the business in January of this year, we've already generated $200K in sales exclusively from cold email. Smartlead has been central to our operations and has exceeded our expectations.
Founder, Growthlynk
There's so much stuff built on top of it. I would be dead if I had to rebuild it with another tool. I can manage hundreds of senders easily. I can send hundreds of thousands of emails.
Founder, Corebits
The platform's HubSpot integration, real-time Slack updates, and advanced campaign customization have been game changers for our business and our clients'.
Founder, Apex Ascension
From day one, we've never used anything else.
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