Cold messages to people in my field, do they work? (Austin)

I want to talk to people in a new field but I hate cold messages. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. I want advice, not a job directly. Did any turn into leads?

Follow up with a thank-you and a short update. One of my chats led to a referral a month later.

I wrote three short lines: who I am, why them and a small ask for fifteen minutes. About one in four said yes.