From a job seeker approach, I'd think the 'opposite' of this is also effective (and what I'd suggest). Particularly the proof of work inclusion, which shows employers and hiring managers that you took some care in the contact. If someone emailed gdb and included much of this same information, I'd hope that they'd likely get an interview.
Hey gdb,
I just read your blog post about Open Source Retreat and love how Stripe is supporting the community. I'm a senior engineer with KNOWN COMPANY on the KNOWN PRODUCT team. Would you be interested in getting together for a cup of coffee to talk about what it's like to work for Stripe?
I'm in the job market right now, but being in a country other than the one I'm looking for a job in, it means that I can't do what you suggest.
But, this is something I really want to do. I wouldn't go in asking for a job, but just a "I want to know what you do and how you do it (and what sort of jobs exist at your place)". I suspect it's great for networking as well, if they do have a job come up, they might think of me...
The only part that you can't do is the cup of coffee. That doesn't mean you can't start a dialogue. Many people got their jobs through this kind of initial contact and some common interest, often in an open source project.
The best approach, as you mention, probably doesn't include asking for a job right away. Build some interest first.
Hey gdb, I just read your blog post about Open Source Retreat and love how Stripe is supporting the community. I'm a senior engineer with KNOWN COMPANY on the KNOWN PRODUCT team. Would you be interested in getting together for a cup of coffee to talk about what it's like to work for Stripe?