⭐️ Fully automated lead enrichment system using modular OSINT⭐️
Hey everyone, Most of us start lead gen with Apollo or Apify, but I wanted to see if I could build a "Lead Factory" that was more dynamic, more accurate, and significantly cheaper. I’ve moved my entire prospecting flow into a modular n8n stack. Instead of pulling from a stale database, this system performs real-time research on every lead before I ever hit "send." The Stack (and why I chose these tools): - Discovery: RapidAPI (Local Business Data) – Pulls fresh Google Maps data. I’m getting leads that opened their doors last week, not last year. - The Eyes: Olostep ($9/mo) – This is the secret sauce. It handles the "stealth" scraping of the lead's website to find owner names and specific USPs without getting blocked. - The Investigator: Tavily (1k free/mo) – This searches the web for "hooks." It finds recent news, BBB ratings, or Yelp sentiment that a standard database would miss. - Identity: Tomba & Prospeo – I use a dual-layer check here to verify emails. If one doesn't find it, the other usually does. - The Brain: Gemini/Claude – Instead of a "template," the AI synthesizes all the research above into a hyper-personalized icebreaker. How it works (The "Dynamic Sheet" Method): The coolest part? I don't "search" for leads anymore. I have a Google Sheet where I just type a niche (e.g., "HVAC in Denver") and a location. 1. n8n sees the new row and triggers the "Phase 0" discovery. 2. The system automatically populates the sheet with deep-dive research. 3. It drafts the outreach based on real-time sentiment (e.g., "I noticed your A+ BBB rating, but your Yelp reviews are lagging—AI can help bridge that gap"). 4. It rotates the lead to the bottom of the queue once processed. Why this beats the "Big Players": - Anti-Fragile: If a scraper breaks or a service raises prices, I just swap one node. I’m not locked into a $$/mo subscriptions. - OSINT over DB: Apollo is a database; this is an investigator. It finds "signals" (like negative Yelp sentiment) that you can actually sell against. - The Cost: You can start this for $0. Even at scale, I’m running thousands of leads for the cost of a couple of pizzas and 🍻 .