Cold email kickoff

Cold Email Kickoff#

The single entry point for a fresh user. Replaces "stare at 29 skills and guess which to run first."

When to use#

• First-time cold email operator on this repo
• New client/business being onboarded (fresh profiles/<slug>/ directory)
• Experienced operator starting a new campaign for a new business
• Anyone who asks "where do I start?"

What this skill produces#

• A populated profiles/<business-slug>/client-profile.yaml (from /icp-onboarding)
• A profiles/<business-slug>/lead-magnets.md with the chosen free offer
• A profiles/<business-slug>/campaign-strategy.md with 15-25 campaign ideas
• A consolidated profiles/<business-slug>/campaign-plan.md — a single-page summary you can show stakeholders
• An interactive menu pointing at the right next skill based on your infrastructure status

Flow#

Step 1 (asked FIRST): Infrastructure status#

Before touching any business context, ask:

1. "Do you already have sending domains + inboxes set up on Smartlead?" (yes / no / not sure)
2. "At least 20 inboxes that have been warming for 2+ weeks?" (yes / no)
3. "Do you have API keys for Smartlead + Prospeo + MillionVerifier in your .env?" (yes / partial / no)

These answers determine the next-step menu at Step 6. Save them as infrastructure_status in the profile.

Step 2: Load or create the business profile#

Check for profiles/<business-slug>/client-profile.yaml:

• Exists → load it. Ask: "Use this existing profile (answer: use) or start fresh (answer: new)?"
• Doesn't exist → invoke /icp-onboarding. This scrapes the user's website first, then interviews them. Produces the profile.

Step 3: Ensure lead magnet is chosen#

Check the loaded/created profile for a lead_magnet field:

• Empty → invoke /lead-magnet-brainstorm. It asks 4 intake questions, scores 10 magnet archetypes, picks a top 2-3, updates the profile.
• Already set → confirm with the user: "Using <chosen magnet> as your free offer. OK?" — if they want to change it, re-invoke /lead-magnet-brainstorm.

Step 4: Generate campaign strategy#

Invoke /campaign-strategy. It takes the profile + website + any case studies it can scrape and produces 15-25 campaign ideas ranging from broad to niche, with AI personalization + value-prop + campaign-overview per idea.

Saved to profiles/<slug>/campaign-strategy.md.

Step 5: Synthesize campaign-plan.md#

Pull from all three artifacts above. Write profiles/<slug>/campaign-plan.md:

# Campaign Plan — <business name>
Generated: YYYY-MM-DD

## Business
<one-liner from profile>
Website: <url>

## ICP
- Titles: <titles>
- Industries: <industries>
- Headcount: X-Y
- Geography: <countries/states>
- Hard filters: <list>
- Excluded industries: <list>

## Offer & Lead Magnet
- Primary CTA: <cta>
- Free hook: <lead magnet name>
- Delivery: <how you deliver it>

## Top 3 Recommended Campaigns (from /campaign-strategy)
1. **<name>** — <one-line why + value prop>
2. **<name>** — <one-line why + value prop>
3. **<name>** — <one-line why + value prop>

Full strategy in: profiles/<slug>/campaign-strategy.md

## Infrastructure Readiness
Based on your Step 1 answers:
- [ ] SMARTLEAD_API_KEY in .env: <yes/no>
- [ ] PROSPEO_API_KEY in .env: <yes/no>
- [ ] MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY in .env: <yes/no>
- [ ] Domains purchased: <yes/no>
- [ ] Inboxes warmed 2+ weeks: <yes/no>

## Next Steps
<branched — see Step 6 below>

Step 6: Interactive next-skill menu#

Branch on Step 1 answers.

If NO infrastructure (or "not sure"):

Your next step is provisioning domains + inboxes. This takes ~2 weeks (because inboxes need
to warm). Menu:

[A] Start the domain + inbox setup NOW  → /zapmail-domain-setup-public then /smartlead-inbox-manager
[B] Save the plan and come back after I have infra
[C] I want to build my list FIRST (warning: risky — without warmed inboxes, you can't send safely)

Pick A / B / C:

If A: orient the user, then invoke /zapmail-domain-setup-public. After that skill completes, invoke /smartlead-inbox-manager for config. Remind the user to wait 2 weeks for warmup before launching.

If INFRASTRUCTURE READY (warmed inboxes + API keys present):

Look at the ICP type in the profile and recommend a list-building skill:

Your infra is ready. Time to build your list. Based on your ICP (<summary>), the best fit is:

[A] /prospeo-full-export       → title-first search (best for: VP/Director/Head roles in specific industries)
[B] /disco-like                → lookalike discovery (best for: "more companies like <seed domains>")
[C] /google-maps-list-builder  → local SMBs (best for: restaurants, clinics, contractors, etc.)
[D] /blitz-list-builder        → domain-first (best for: named-account ABM, specific company list)
[E] /competitor-engagers       → LinkedIn engagement (best for: people actively engaged with competitors)

Recommendation: <one of A-E based on ICP>. Pick A / B / C / D / E:

Invoke the picked skill. After it completes, remind user: /icp-prompt-builder runs inside that skill (required step), then /list-quality-scorecard, then /campaign-copywriting, then /smartlead-campaign-upload-public.

Step 7: Offer to open the plan#

Print the campaign-plan.md path. Offer open <path> if macOS.

Safeguards#

• Don't re-run /icp-onboarding blindly. If a profile exists, ASK before overwriting.
• Don't auto-invoke /zapmail-domain-setup-public. It spends real money. Always confirm first.
• Don't skip the 2-week warmup warning. Make it loud if the user picks option [C] of the no-infra menu.

Why this skill exists#

Without kickoff, a new user opens the repo, sees 29 skills, and has no idea which to run first. Every single new operator asks the same question ("where do I start?") and the answer is identical. This skill is that answer, codified.

Also: putting the infrastructure question FIRST prevents the most common failure mode — someone writes beautiful copy, builds a great list, then realizes they can't send because they have no warmed inboxes.

What to do next#

Follow whichever branch your Step 6 menu selected. The skill hands you off cleanly to the right next step.

Or wait: if you picked [B] from the no-infra menu (save plan, come back later), return to this skill after your domains have warmed for 2 weeks. Load the existing profile and skip to Step 6.

Related skills#

• /icp-onboarding — invoked in step 2 (scrapes website + interviews)
• /lead-magnet-brainstorm — invoked in step 3 (picks free offer)
• /campaign-strategy — invoked in step 4 (15-25 campaign ideas)
• /zapmail-domain-setup-public — offered in step 6 if no infra
• /smartlead-inbox-manager — offered in step 6 after domain setup
• /prospeo-full-export, /disco-like, /google-maps-list-builder, /blitz-list-builder, /competitor-engagers — offered in step 6 if infra ready

References#

• references/example-campaign-plans/b2b-saas.md — sample campaign plan for a B2B SaaS client
• references/example-campaign-plans/smb-restaurant.md — sample for a local restaurant chain
• references/example-campaign-plans/agency.md — sample for a marketing agency

Supporting file: references/example-campaign-plans/agency.md#

Campaign Plan — Scale Studio Agency (example)#

Generated: 2026-04-17

Business#

Scale Studio — a white-label marketing agency selling to other marketing agencies who need overflow capacity. Services: paid ads management, SEO, content production. Website: https://scalestudio.co (opens in a new tab)

ICP#

• Titles: Founder, CEO, Managing Partner, Director of Operations at marketing agencies
• Industries: Advertising Services, Marketing Services, Public Relations and Communications Services
• Headcount: 10–50 (large enough to have overflow but small enough that adding a FTE is expensive)
• Geography: US + UK + Canada + Australia
• Hard filters: agency business model (not SaaS), has named clients on website, active on LinkedIn
• Excluded: agencies <5 employees (no budget), agencies >100 employees (have in-house teams)

Offer & Lead Magnet#

• Primary CTA: "Want to white-label our team for 1 project — no long-term commitment?"
• Free hook: Free 2-hour audit of one current client account — deliverables or recommendations owned by you, pitched as your work.
• Delivery: 2-hour time-bound deliverable, NDA'd, branded as theirs.

Top 3 Recommended Campaigns (from /campaign-strategy)#

1. Agency Capacity Pressure Signal — target agency founders who recently posted about "hiring" or "scaling" on LinkedIn
2. Client Roster Lookalike — reference their named clients: "Saw you're working with {named client}. Companies like that usually need {specific overflow service}."
3. Hiring Ad Trigger — target agencies with open job postings for "Senior Paid Ads Manager" or similar roles. "Want to fill the gap without the 3-month ramp?"

Full strategy in: profiles/scale-studio/campaign-strategy.md

Infrastructure Readiness#

• SMARTLEAD_API_KEY
• PROSPEO_API_KEY
• MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY
• RAPIDAPI_KEY (LinkedIn engagement data)
• Domains purchased (12 .co lookalikes)
• Inboxes warmed 2+ weeks — CURRENTLY WARMING (~day 9 of warmup). Not ready to send yet.

Next Steps#

Not ready to launch — inboxes still warming.

While you wait:

1. Run /prospeo-full-export → pull ~1,500 agency founders (titles + industries above)
2. /icp-prompt-builder → qualify (filter out SaaS-adjacent, too-small, too-large agencies)
3. /list-quality-scorecard → grade
4. Have list ready + iced in profiles/scale-studio/list.csv

Then:

1. Wait 5 more days for inbox warmup to complete (2 full weeks)
2. /campaign-copywriting → write Campaign #1 (Agency Capacity Pressure Signal)
3. /smartlead-campaign-upload-public
4. 21 days → /positive-reply-scoring

Or: go set up /cold-email-weekly-rhythm on your calendar now so you don't forget the weekly ops once live.

Supporting file: references/example-campaign-plans/b2b-saas.md#

Campaign Plan — Acme Analytics (example)#

Generated: 2026-04-17

Business#

Acme Analytics — a product-analytics platform for B2B SaaS companies (50-500 employees). Helps product + growth teams attribute feature usage to revenue. Website: https://acmeanalytics.com (opens in a new tab)

ICP#

• Titles: VP Product, Head of Product, VP Growth, Head of Analytics, Director of Product Analytics
• Industries: Software Development, Technology, Information and Internet, Financial Services
• Headcount: 50–500
• Geography: US + Canada
• Hard filters: B2B only (not B2C), has a product team of ≥3, raised Series A+
• Excluded industries: Non-profit Organizations, Religious Institutions, Government Administration

Offer & Lead Magnet#

• Primary CTA: "Want a free 30-min product analytics audit?"
• Free hook: 30-minute audit of their current analytics stack — identifies 3 specific gaps + a prioritized fix list
• Delivery: async Loom recording sent within 48 hours, 1-page written summary

Top 3 Recommended Campaigns (from /campaign-strategy)#

1. Analytics Stack Audit — offer a free audit as the front-end. Value prop: "Save time vs. running this audit yourself."
2. New VP Product Welcome — target VPs/Heads of Product who started <90 days ago. They're hunting for quick wins.
3. Mixpanel/Amplitude Competitive Switch — target companies currently using Mixpanel or Amplitude (detected via BuiltWith). Value prop: "Save money consolidating."

Full strategy in: profiles/acme-analytics/campaign-strategy.md

Infrastructure Readiness#

• SMARTLEAD_API_KEY in .env
• PROSPEO_API_KEY in .env
• MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY in .env
• Domains purchased (20 .com lookalikes)
• Inboxes warmed 2+ weeks (40 inboxes tagged active)

Next Steps#

Infrastructure ready — time to build the list.

Recommended: /prospeo-full-export (title-first, best fit for VP Product ICP).

Flow from here:

1. /prospeo-full-export → pull ~2,000 VP/Head of Product leads in Software Development industry
2. /icp-prompt-builder (required step inside Prospeo skill) → qualify on a 50-sample before scaling
3. /list-quality-scorecard → grade the filtered list
4. /campaign-copywriting → write the "Analytics Stack Audit" campaign (Campaign #1 from strategy)
5. /smartlead-campaign-upload-public → DRAFT upload, review in UI, hit Start
6. Wait 21 days, then /positive-reply-scoring

Supporting file: references/example-campaign-plans/smb-restaurant.md#

Campaign Plan — Delivery Margin Pro (example)#

Generated: 2026-04-17

Business#

Delivery Margin Pro — a SaaS that helps multi-location restaurants recover 15–25% of DoorDash/UberEats fees via automated contract renegotiation + rate audits. Website: https://deliverymarginpro.com (opens in a new tab)

ICP#

• Restaurant owners / operators, 2-10 locations
• Industries: Restaurants, Food and Beverage Services
• Headcount: 5–200 (single restaurant ~15, multi-location ~100)
• Geography: US only (top 50 metros)
• Hard filters: on DoorDash + UberEats, 4+ star rating, 100+ Google reviews
• Excluded industries: Corporate chains (decisions made at HQ, not location), single-location (too small for the product)

Offer & Lead Magnet#

• Primary CTA: "Want a free 5-minute audit of your DoorDash + UberEats fees?"
• Free hook: We audit your current delivery contracts and send a 1-page report showing recoverable fees. Avg finding: $4K–$20K/month.
• Delivery: upload their two most recent DoorDash invoices, we return the report in 48 hours.

Top 3 Recommended Campaigns (from /campaign-strategy)#

1. Google Review Signal — reference a specific complaint from their public Google reviews if it mentions pricing/fees/delivery. Shows research.
2. Metro Benchmark Report — "Here's what other {city} restaurants are paying in delivery fees vs. what you're probably paying."
3. Multi-Location Consolidation — target operators with 3+ locations. Value prop: "One contract renegotiation across all your locations = bigger win."

Full strategy in: profiles/delivery-margin-pro/campaign-strategy.md

Infrastructure Readiness#

• SMARTLEAD_API_KEY in .env
• PROSPEO_API_KEY (NOT NEEDED — using Google Maps)
• MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY in .env
• RAPIDAPI_KEY in .env (for Google Maps scraping)
• Domains purchased (15 .com lookalikes)
• Inboxes warmed 2+ weeks (30 inboxes)
• BLITZ_API_KEY in .env (for owner contact finding)

Next Steps#

Infrastructure ready.

Recommended flow:

1. /google-maps-list-builder → scrape 1,000 multi-location restaurants in top 50 metros with 100+ reviews + 4+ stars
2. /icp-prompt-builder (required) → qualify a 50-sample (filter out chains, single-locations, 3-star places)
3. /blitz-list-builder → find owner contacts at each remaining restaurant
4. /email-waterfall → fill missing emails
5. /list-quality-scorecard → grade
6. /campaign-copywriting → write Campaign #1 (Google Review Signal)
7. /smartlead-campaign-upload-public → DRAFT, review, Start manually
8. 21 days → /positive-reply-scoring