---
name: "Cold email kickoff"
repo: https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills
source: https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills/blob/HEAD/skills/cold-email-kickoff/SKILL.md
license: "MIT"
install: "npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-kickoff"
page: https://100xlab.com/resources/agent-skills/growthenginenowoslawski-coldoutboundskills--cold-email-kickoff--1n8uzq9
---

# 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`:

```markdown
# 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

## 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
- [x] SMARTLEAD_API_KEY
- [x] PROSPEO_API_KEY
- [x] MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY
- [x] RAPIDAPI_KEY (LinkedIn engagement data)
- [x] 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)
4. `/smartlead-campaign-upload-public`
5. 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

## 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
- [x] SMARTLEAD_API_KEY in .env
- [x] PROSPEO_API_KEY in .env
- [x] MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY in .env
- [x] Domains purchased (20 `.com` lookalikes)
- [x] 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)
6. `/smartlead-campaign-upload-public` → DRAFT upload, review in UI, hit Start
7. 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

## 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
- [x] SMARTLEAD_API_KEY in .env
- [ ] PROSPEO_API_KEY (NOT NEEDED — using Google Maps)
- [x] MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY in .env
- [x] RAPIDAPI_KEY in .env (for Google Maps scraping)
- [x] Domains purchased (15 `.com` lookalikes)
- [x] Inboxes warmed 2+ weeks (30 inboxes)
- [x] 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)
8. `/smartlead-campaign-upload-public` → DRAFT, review, Start manually
9. 21 days → `/positive-reply-scoring`