outreach-scout

# Outreach Scout

Find people who already need what you're selling. Draft replies that help first, sell second.

## Quick Start

1. Create a scout config file at `life/areas/outreach/scout-config.md` using the template in `{baseDir}/assets/scout-config-template.md`
2. Create the tracking log at `life/areas/outreach/scout-log.md` using `{baseDir}/assets/scout-log-template.md`
3. Run a scout session (see workflow below)

## Core Workflow

### Manual Scout (on-demand)

When asked to scout, find leads, or do outreach:

1. **Read config** — load `life/areas/outreach/scout-config.md` for targets, keywords, and products
2. **Search** — run platform searches (see Search Patterns below)
3. **Filter** — check `life/areas/outreach/scout-log.md` to skip already-seen threads
4. **Analyze** — for each promising result, fetch the thread and assess:
   - Is someone asking a question your product answers?
   - Is the thread recent enough to engage? (< 48 hours ideal, < 7 days acceptable)
   - Is there already a good answer? (if yes, skip unless you can add genuine value)
5. **Draft replies** — write helpful responses following the Reply Guidelines below
6. **Present to user** — show the leads and draft replies for approval
7. **Log** — record all found threads in the scout log (whether engaged or skipped)

### Heartbeat Scout (automated)

Add to your HEARTBEAT.md:
```
## Outreach Scout
- Run a scout sweep during daytime heartbeats (max 1x per 4 hours)
- Present any new leads found
- Skip if last scout was < 4 hours ago (check scout-log.md timestamps)
```

During heartbeat: run the scout workflow, but only present results if you find something worth engaging. Don't message the user just to say "no leads found."

## Search Patterns

### Reddit
Use `web_search` with these query patterns:
```
site:reddit.com "[keyword]" after:[date]
site:reddit.com/r/[subreddit] "[keyword]"
```

Search for:
- Direct questions: "how do I [thing your product does]"
- Frustration signals: "struggling with", "can't figure out", "anyone know how to"
- Recommendation requests: "best way to", "what do you use for", "recommendations for"
- Comparison threads: "[competitor] vs", "alternative to"

### X/Twitter
Use `web_search` with:
```
site:x.com "[keyword]" OR site:twitter.com "[keyword]"
```

Search for:
- Questions and complaints about problems you solve
- "Anyone know a good..." requests
- Build-in-public threads in your niche

### Forums & Communities
Use `web_search` with:
```
"[keyword]" site:discord.com OR site:community.[domain] OR site:forum.[domain]
```

### General Web
```
"[keyword]" "[problem phrase]" -site:youtube.com
```

## Reply Guidelines

**The golden rule: Be genuinely helpful. The mention of your product is the side dish, not the main course.**

### Structure of a good reply
1. **Acknowledge their problem** — show you understand what they're dealing with
2. **Give real help** — answer their question or share useful info (this is the bulk of the reply)
3. **Natural mention** — if relevant, mention your product/skill as one option among several
4. **No hard sell** — no "BUY NOW", no affiliate links, no pressure

### What makes a reply feel genuine vs spammy

**Genuine:**
> "I ran into the same issue setting up memory persistence. What worked for me was a 3-layer system — daily notes for raw logs, a knowledge graph for durable stuff, and a tacit knowledge file for preferences/lessons. I actually packaged this as a free skill on ClawHub (para-memory) if you want to skip the setup."

**Spammy:**
> "Check out para-memory on ClawHub! It solves exactly this problem! 🚀🔥"

### Platform-specific guidelines
See `{baseDir}/references/platform-tips.md` for Reddit, X, and Discord etiquette.

### Reply tone
- Match the platform's culture (Reddit is more technical, X is more casual)
- Be concise — long replies get skipped
- Include specific details that show you actually know what you're talking about
- If you can't add genuine value, don't reply

## Tracking

The scout log (`life/areas/outreach/scout-log.md`) tracks:
- Date and time of each scout session
- Threads found (URL, platform, relevance score)
- Action taken (replied, skipped, saved for later)
- Results (if known — upvotes, replies, clicks)

This prevents double-engaging threads and helps identify which platforms/keywords produce the best leads.

## Metrics

Track weekly in the scout log:
- **Threads found** — total leads discovered
- **Threads engaged** — replies posted
- **Response rate** — replies that got positive engagement
- **Conversions** — any clicks/sales that traced back to outreach

## Advanced: Multi-Product Scouting

If you have multiple products, the config supports listing several. The scout will match threads to the most relevant product and tailor the reply accordingly.

## Credits

Built by Kai @ KaiShips — kaiships.com