@nerdev/skillset 0.2.1

package/skills/business/startup-founder/references/marketing/launch.md

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+---
+name: launch
+description: "When the user wants to plan a product launch, feature announcement, or release strategy. Also use when the user mentions 'launch,' 'Product Hunt,' 'feature release,' 'announcement,' 'go-to-market,' 'beta launch,' 'early access,' 'waitlist,' 'product update,' 'how do I launch this,' 'launch checklist,' 'GTM plan,' or 'we are about to ship.' Use this whenever someone is preparing to release something publicly. For ongoing marketing after launch, see marketing-ideas. For the offer you launch (bonuses, guarantees, scarcity, naming), see offers."
+metadata:
+  version: 2.0.1
+
+# Launch Strategy
+
+You are an expert in SaaS product launches and feature announcements. Your goal is to help users plan launches that build momentum, capture attention, and convert interest into users.
+
+## Before Starting
+
+**Check for product marketing context first:**
+If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
+
+
+## Core Philosophy
+
+The best companies do not just launch once. They launch again and again. Every new feature, improvement, and update is an opportunity to capture attention and engage your audience.
+
+A strong launch is not about a single moment. It is about:
+- Getting your product into users' hands early
+- Learning from real feedback
+- Making a splash at every stage
+- Building momentum that compounds over time
+
+
+## The ORB Framework
+
+Structure your launch marketing across three channel types. Everything must lead back to owned channels in the end.
+
+### Owned Channels
+You own the channel (though not the audience). Direct access without algorithms or platform rules.
+
+**Examples:**
+- Email list
+- Blog
+- Podcast
+- Branded community (Slack, Discord)
+- Website/product
+
+**Why they matter:**
+- Get more effective over time
+- No algorithm changes or pay-to-play
+- Direct relationship with audience
+- Compound value from content
+
+**Start with 1-2 based on audience:**
+- Industry lacks quality content → Start a blog
+- People want direct updates → Focus on email
+- Engagement matters → Build a community
+
+**Example - Superhuman:**
+Built demand through an invite-only waitlist and one-on-one onboarding sessions. Every new user got a 30-minute live demo. This created exclusivity, FOMO, and word-of-mouth, all through owned relationships. Years later, their original onboarding materials still drive engagement.
+
+### Rented Channels
+Platforms that give visibility but you do not control. Algorithms shift, rules change, pay-to-play increases.
+
+**Examples:**
+- Social media (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram)
+- App stores and marketplaces
+- YouTube
+- Reddit
+
+**How to use correctly:**
+- Pick 1-2 platforms where your audience is active
+- Use them to drive traffic to owned channels
+- Do not rely on them as your only strategy
+
+**Example - Notion:**
+Hacked virality through Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit where productivity enthusiasts were active. Encouraged community to share templates and workflows. But they funneled all visibility into owned assets. Every viral post led to signups, then targeted email onboarding.
+
+**Platform-specific tactics:**
+- Twitter/X: Threads that spark conversation → link to newsletter
+- LinkedIn: High-value posts → lead to gated content or email signup
+- Marketplaces (Shopify, Slack): Optimize listing → drive to site for more
+
+Rented channels give speed, not stability. Capture momentum by bringing users into your owned ecosystem.
+
+### Borrowed Channels
+Use the audience of someone else to shortcut the hardest part: getting noticed.
+
+**Examples:**
+- Guest content (blog posts, podcast interviews, newsletter features)
+- Collaborations (webinars, co-marketing, social takeovers)
+- Speaking engagements (conferences, panels, virtual summits)
+- Influencer partnerships
+
+**Be proactive, not passive:**
+1. List industry leaders who matter to your audience
+2. Pitch win-win collaborations
+3. Use tools like SparkToro or Listen Notes to find audience overlap
+4. Set up affiliate/referral incentives (for channel partner launches, use [Introw](../../tools/integrations/introw.md) to manage deal registration and commissions)
+
+**Example - TRMNL:**
+Sent a free e-ink display to YouTuber Snazzy Labs, not a paid sponsorship, just hoping he would like it. He created an in-depth review that racked up 500K+ views and drove $500K+ in sales. They also set up an affiliate program for ongoing promotion.
+
+Borrowed channels give instant credibility, but only work if you convert borrowed attention into owned relationships.
+
+
+## Five-Phase Launch Approach
+
+Launching is not a one-day event. It is a phased process that builds momentum.
+
+### Phase 1: Internal Launch
+Gather initial feedback and iron out major issues before going public.
+
+**Actions:**
+- Recruit early users one-on-one to test for free
+- Collect feedback on usability gaps and missing features
+- Make sure the prototype works for demos (it does not need to be production-ready)
+
+**Goal:** Validate core functionality with friendly users.
+
+### Phase 2: Alpha Launch
+Put the product in front of external users in a controlled way.
+
+**Actions:**
+- Create landing page with early access signup form
+- Announce the product exists
+- Invite users individually to start testing
+- MVP works in production (even if it still evolves)
+
+**Goal:** First external validation and initial waitlist building.
+
+### Phase 3: Beta Launch
+Scale up early access while generating external buzz.
+
+**Actions:**
+- Work through early access list (some free, some paid)
+- Start marketing with teasers about problems you solve
+- Recruit friends, investors, and influencers to test and share
+
+**Consider adding:**
+- Coming soon landing page or waitlist
+- "Beta" sticker in dashboard navigation
+- Email invites to early access list
+- Early access toggle in settings for experimental features
+
+**Goal:** Build buzz and refine product with broader feedback.
+
+### Phase 4: Early Access Launch
+Shift from small-scale testing to controlled expansion.
+
+**Actions:**
+- Leak product details: screenshots, feature GIFs, demos
+- Gather quantitative usage data and qualitative feedback
+- Run user research with engaged users (incentivize with credits)
+- Optionally run product/market fit survey to refine messaging
+
+**Expansion options:**
+- Option A: Throttle invites in batches (5-10% at a time)
+- Option B: Invite all users at once under "early access" framing
+
+**Goal:** Validate at scale and prepare for full launch.
+
+### Phase 5: Full Launch
+Open the floodgates.
+
+**Actions:**
+- Open self-serve signups
+- Start charging (if not already)
+- Announce general availability across all channels
+
+**Launch touchpoints:**
+- Customer emails
+- In-app popups and product tours
+- Website banner linking to launch assets
+- "New" sticker in dashboard navigation
+- Blog post announcement
+- Social posts across platforms
+- Product Hunt, BetaList, Hacker News, etc.
+
+**Goal:** Maximum visibility and conversion to paying users.
+
+
+## Product Hunt Launch Strategy
+
+Product Hunt can be powerful for reaching early adopters, but it is not magic. It requires preparation.
+
+### Pros
+- Exposure to tech-savvy early adopter audience
+- Credibility bump (especially if Product of the Day)
+- Potential PR coverage and backlinks
+
+### Cons
+- Very competitive to rank well
+- Short-lived traffic spikes
+- Requires significant pre-launch planning
+
+### How to Launch Successfully
+
+**Before launch day:**
+1. Build relationships with influential supporters, content hubs, and communities
+2. Optimize your listing: compelling tagline, polished visuals, short demo video
+3. Study successful launches to identify what worked
+4. Engage in relevant communities. Give value before pitching.
+5. Prepare your team for all-day engagement
+
+**On launch day:**
+1. Treat it as an all-day event
+2. Respond to every comment in real-time
+3. Answer questions and spark discussions
+4. Encourage your existing audience to engage
+5. Direct traffic back to your site to capture signups
+
+**After launch day:**
+1. Follow up with everyone who engaged
+2. Convert Product Hunt traffic into owned relationships (email signups)
+3. Continue momentum with post-launch content
+
+### Case Studies
+
+**SavvyCal** (Scheduling tool):
+- Optimized landing page and onboarding before launch
+- Built relationships with productivity/SaaS influencers in advance
+- Responded to every comment on launch day
+- Result: #2 Product of the Month
+
+**Reform** (Form builder):
+- Studied successful launches and applied insights
+- Crafted clear tagline, polished visuals, demo video
+- Engaged in communities before launch (gave value first)
+- Treated launch as all-day engagement event
+- Directed traffic to capture signups
+- Result: #1 Product of the Day
+
+
+## Post-Launch Product Marketing
+
+Your launch is not over when the announcement goes live. Now comes adoption and retention work.
+
+### Immediate Post-Launch Actions
+
+**Educate new users:**
+Set up automated onboarding email sequence introducing key features and use cases.
+
+**Reinforce the launch:**
+Include announcement in your weekly/biweekly/monthly roundup email to catch people who missed it.
+
+**Differentiate against competitors:**
+Publish comparison pages highlighting why you are the obvious choice.
+
+**Update web pages:**
+Add dedicated sections about the new feature/product across your site.
+
+**Offer hands-on preview:**
+Create no-code interactive demo (with tools like Navattic) so visitors can explore before signing up.
+
+### Keep Momentum Going
+It is easier to build on existing momentum than to start from scratch. Every touchpoint reinforces the launch.
+
+
+## Ongoing Launch Strategy
+
+Do not rely on a single launch event. Regular updates and feature rollouts sustain engagement.
+
+### How to Prioritize What to Announce
+
+Use this matrix to decide how much marketing each update deserves:
+
+**Major updates** (new features, product overhauls):
+- Full campaign across multiple channels
+- Blog post, email campaign, in-app messages, social media
+- Maximize exposure
+
+**Medium updates** (new integrations, UI enhancements):
+- Targeted announcement
+- Email to relevant segments, in-app banner
+- Do not need full fanfare
+
+**Minor updates** (bug fixes, small tweaks):
+- Changelog and release notes
+- Signal that product is improving
+- Do not dominate marketing
+
+### Announcement Tactics
+
+**Space out releases:**
+Instead of shipping everything at once, stagger announcements to maintain momentum.
+
+**Reuse high-performing tactics:**
+If a previous announcement resonated, apply those insights to future updates.
+
+**Keep engaging:**
+Continue with email, social, and in-app messaging to highlight improvements.
+
+**Signal active development:**
+Even small changelog updates remind customers your product is evolving. This builds retention and word-of-mouth. Customers feel confident you will be around.
+
+
+## Launch Checklist
+
+### Pre-Launch
+- [ ] Landing page with clear value proposition
+- [ ] Email capture / waitlist signup
+- [ ] Early access list built
+- [ ] Owned channels established (email, blog, community)
+- [ ] Rented channel presence (social profiles optimized)
+- [ ] Borrowed channel opportunities identified (podcasts, influencers)
+- [ ] Product Hunt listing prepared (if used)
+- [ ] Launch assets created (screenshots, demo video, GIFs)
+- [ ] Onboarding flow ready
+- [ ] Analytics/tracking in place
+
+### Launch Day
+- [ ] Announcement email to list
+- [ ] Blog post published
+- [ ] Social posts scheduled and posted
+- [ ] Product Hunt listing live (if used)
+- [ ] In-app announcement for existing users
+- [ ] Website banner/notification active
+- [ ] Team ready to engage and respond
+- [ ] Monitor for issues and feedback
+
+### Post-Launch
+- [ ] Onboarding email sequence active
+- [ ] Follow-up with engaged prospects
+- [ ] Roundup email includes announcement
+- [ ] Comparison pages published
+- [ ] Interactive demo created
+- [ ] Gather and act on feedback
+- [ ] Plan next launch moment
+
+
+## Task-Specific Questions
+
+1. What are you launching? (New product, major feature, minor update)
+2. What's your current audience size and engagement?
+3. What owned channels do you have? (Email list size, blog traffic, community)
+4. What is your timeline for launch?
+5. Have you launched before? What worked and what did not work?
+6. Are you considering Product Hunt? What is your preparation status?
+
+
+## Related Skills
+
+- **marketing-ideas**: For additional launch tactics (#22 Product Hunt, #23 Early Access Referrals)
+- **emails**: For launch and onboarding email sequences
+- **cro**: For optimizing launch landing pages
+- **marketing-psychology**: For psychology behind waitlists and exclusivity
+- **programmatic-seo**: For comparison pages mentioned in post-launch
+- **sales-enablement**: For launch sales collateral and enablement materials

package/skills/business/startup-founder/references/marketing/marketing-plan.md

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+---
+name: marketing-plan
+description: When the user needs a full marketing plan for a client, a company they advise, or their own product. Also use when the user mentions "marketing plan," "growth plan," "GTM plan," "go-to-market plan," "AARRR plan," "90-day marketing plan," "12-month marketing roadmap," "fractional CMO plan," or "fCMO plan." Generates a 13-section plan structured by AARRR (Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, Revenue). It adapts to the current budget, team, and stage of the client. It maps to future funding milestones. It cross-references the 139-idea marketing-ideas library and an embedded 17-section current-state audit rubric. It shows the full marketing operations stack, including which skills and MCP/API integrations execute each part. Outputs a Notion-paste-ready markdown document. For positioning and ICP context before planning, see product-marketing. For stage-specific deep work, see onboarding, signup, emails, referrals, pricing.
+---
+
+# Marketing Plan
+
+You are an expert marketing strategist operating at fCMO (fractional CMO) level. Your job is to produce a complete, executable 12-month marketing plan for a specific client or company. The plan uses the AARRR structure (Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, Revenue). It fits their actual budget, team, stage, and capabilities. It cross-references the full marketing-ideas library and the embedded 17-section current-state audit rubric.
+
+The deliverable is a single Notion-paste-ready markdown document. It is the kind of strategy artifact a fractional CMO would present to founders. It must be specific to the client (not generic). It must be exhaustive: it covers every tactical surface area, not just the prescribed ones. It must be operationally honest: it reflects what their team can actually execute with their current stack and headcount.
+
+## When to use
+
+Invoke this skill when:
+
+- A user starts a new client engagement as a fractional CMO or marketing consultant
+- A founder needs a 12-month marketing roadmap they can share with their team or investors
+- A team wants to consolidate scattered marketing work into a single coherent plan. This work includes SEO research, brand voice docs, audit findings, and onboarding analyses
+- The user explicitly asks for a "marketing plan," "growth plan," "GTM plan," "fCMO plan," "AARRR plan," or "90-day + 12-month marketing roadmap"
+- The user has an existing scored audit (from any prior current-state assessment) that needs sequencing into an action plan
+
+**Do not use** when the user wants a tactical execution document for a single channel. Use the channel-specific skill instead (`emails`, `ads`, `seo-audit`, `onboarding`, etc.). Do not use it when the user just wants marketing ideas without commitment to a plan (use `marketing-ideas`).
+
+## How to invoke this skill
+
+```
+/marketing-plan {client-name-or-domain}
+```
+
+Examples:
+- `/marketing-plan quietude.app`
+- `/marketing-plan acme-saas`
+- `/marketing-plan` (will prompt for client name)
+
+On invocation, the skill reads `~/marketing-plans/{client-slug}/progress.md`. It resumes based on the state machine documented in `references/methodology.md` Step 1.1.2 (fresh, INIT, REVIEW, FINALIZE, finalized). Finalized plans are never silently overwritten. Ask the user whether to revise as v{N+1}, start fresh, or re-open a section.
+
+## The three phases
+
+The full workflow lives in `references/methodology.md`. Quick summary:
+
+### Phase 1: INIT (research + intake)
+
+Read all available materials about the client. Pull data from any wired tools (Ahrefs, GA4 MCP, Stripe MCP, etc.). Do structured intake. Cover client overview, ICP, current funnel state, funding state, team composition, and the marketing budget. List channels currently active. List work already done, work in-flight, and work stuck. List the tooling stack. Save it to `research.md`.
+
+Use the embedded 17-section current-state rubric (`references/current-state-rubric.md`) as your scoring lens for Section 3. Score each section 0-5 against the available materials.
+
+### Phase 2: REVIEW (walk through each of 13 sections interactively)
+
+Present a draft of each section in chat. For each section you can:
+- Approve as-is ("good," "next")
+- Adjust ("change X to Y")
+- Add observations ("also mention Z")
+- Expand ("go deeper on this")
+
+Save each confirmed section to the progress file as you go. The skill is resumable. If interrupted, run `/marketing-plan client-name` again to pick up at the next unfinished section.
+
+### Phase 3: FINALIZE (compile + verify + publish)
+
+Compile all 13 sections into `final_plan.md`. Run a verification pass. Confirm the cross-references are accurate (marketing-ideas idea numbers, related skills, MCP integrations). Check for machine-specific paths that must not ship. Make sure the brand voice matches what the strategic frame captured.
+
+Optionally offer to publish to a shared GitHub repo. Use a path like `{client-org}/{client-context}/marketing/plan.md`. Do this if the user wants to share it with the team.
+
+## The 13-section plan structure
+
+Full template lives in `references/plan-template.md`. The structure:
+
+1. **Executive summary**: 3 big bets, 90-day priorities, 12-month outcome. Written so a founder can lift it into an investor or board update.
+2. **Strategic frame**: Category claim, ICP distilled, business-model logic, brand voice non-negotiables.
+3. **Current state**: Team, budget, work done, work in-flight, work stuck. Scored against the embedded 17-section current-state rubric (`references/current-state-rubric.md`).
+4. **Acquisition**: How strangers become aware. Channels current + planned + skipped. 90-day and 12-month moves, skills + tools.
+5. **Activation**: How a new user has an experience that converts. Onboarding, first session, App Store / signup, paywall, lifecycle setup.
+6. **Retention**: How a converted user stays and deepens. Lifecycle flows, churn prevention, win-back, support-as-marketing.
+7. **Referral**: How retained users bring more users. Ambassador / affiliate / Guides / WOM mechanics.
+8. **Revenue**: Pricing, packaging, upsells, bundles, hardware-to-software, B2B ACV.
+9. **90-day roadmap**: Weeks 1-2 (Unblock), 3-4 (Foundation), 5-8 (Velocity), 9-12 (Compound). AARRR-tagged, owner-assigned.
+10. **12-month outlook**: Quarterly milestones tied to funding-stage capability unlocks.
+11. **Marketing operations stack**: Marketing skills + MCP/API integrations mapped to each AARRR stage. Capability unlocks by funding stage.
+12. **Tactical idea bank**: All 139 ideas from `marketing-ideas` cross-referenced to AARRR + client-specific status (Now / Q2 / Q3+ / Q4+ / Skip).
+13. **Measurement, RACI, open decisions, appendix**: North-star metric, leading indicators by stage, RACI table, blocking decisions, links to deeper docs.
+
+## The AARRR framing
+
+AARRR replaces the older "channels and tactics" approach. It forces every recommendation to be funnel-stage-tagged. This makes the plan executable in priority order.
+
+Full primer in `references/aarrr-framework.md`. Quick rule:
+
+- **Acquisition** = strangers → aware (top of funnel)
+- **Activation** = aware → first valued experience (signup, onboarding, first session)
+- **Retention** = repeat users (lifecycle, churn prevention, deepening engagement)
+- **Referral** = retained users → bring more users (programs, viral mechanics)
+- **Revenue** = monetization (pricing, upsells, bundles, ACV expansion)
+
+Brand and content are **cross-cutting**, not their own AARRR stage. They serve every stage.
+
+## The current-state rubric
+
+The "Current State" section of the plan scores the client against the embedded 17-section rubric. Full rubric in `references/current-state-rubric.md`. It is the source of truth, not a derivative of any external skill.
+
+If the user already has a separately scored audit, ingest those scores directly into Section 3. Otherwise, score from available materials with the rubric as your lens. Mark "scored from materials" in the section header so the team can push back where they have better data.
+
+## Cross-references: skills this plan integrates with
+
+1. **`marketing-ideas`**: 139 proven marketing tactics. Section 12 of the plan cross-references every one to AARRR + client status. Detail in `references/idea-cross-reference.md`.
+2. **`product-marketing`**: Sets up the foundational `.agents/product-marketing.md` context file (positioning, ICP, voice). Read this first. Section 2 (Strategic frame) builds on it.
+3. **AARRR-stage-specific skills**: `onboarding`, `signup`, `emails`, `referrals`, `pricing`, etc. The "Marketing operations stack" (Section 11) maps these to AARRR stages.
+
+The plan is **opinionated about which skills serve which stages.** Full mapping in `references/ops-stack-mapping.md`.
+
+## The marketing operations stack
+
+This is the differentiator of an fCMO-style plan vs. a generic marketing plan. The plan does not just say *what* to do. It says *what skills and tooling execute it.*
+
+A small team + an fCMO + the marketing-skills library + MCP integrations can output the work of a 15-20-person traditional marketing org. The plan must show this stack explicitly, AARRR-stage by AARRR-stage.
+
+Full mapping in `references/ops-stack-mapping.md`.
+
+## Funding-stage capability unlocks
+
+Every plan must include explicit "what changes when funding closes / when budget unlocks" reasoning. This makes the plan investor-friendly: founders mid-raise see what they buy. It stays operationally honest: we do not pretend the team can spend $50K/mo on paid before the round closes.
+
+Standard tiers in `references/funding-stage-unlocks.md`:
+- **Pre-seed / bootstrapped**: $0-2K/mo total marketing spend, organic only
+- **Seed close**: $5-15K/mo paid test budget, first marketing hire
+- **Seed deployment**: $20-50K/mo paid, second marketing hire
+- **Series A**: $50-150K/mo paid, performance + content + designer, international consideration
+- **Series B+**: $150K+/mo paid, brand campaigns, PR firm, full-stack marketing org
+
+Use these as anchors. Adjust for category. Consumer apps and ecommerce can spend more. Deep-tech B2B may spend less.
+
+## Setting the budget scientifically
+
+The funding-stage anchors above give the *ballpark* range. To set the actual number defensibly, use one of two methods (full detail in `references/budget-planning.md`):
+
+1. **Revenue-Based (5-40% of ARR)**: start from comfortable spend, forecast the resulting revenue. Best when historical CAC data exists.
+2. **Goal-Based**: reverse-engineer the budget from the revenue target. Formula: `[(New ARR / (ARPC × 12)) × CAC] / annual retention rate`. Best for fundraising or when the goal does not change.
+
+Always add **10-20% experimental budget** on top. CAC is the main dependency. The experimental layer funds the next-channel investment before the current one plateaus.
+
+For VC-backed Series A+ clients, anchor the 12-month outlook against the **3-3-2-2-2 rule**. The rule: 3× in years 1-2, 2× in years 3-7 from $1M ARR.
+
+## Growth patterns: the real shape of SaaS growth
+
+Pitch decks show hockey sticks. Real growth is a series of S-curves with plateaus between them. Full framework in `references/growth-patterns.md`. Key implications for the plan:
+
+- **Phase identification**: $0-10K ARR (grueling), $10K-100K (treacherous middle), $100K-1M (acceleration). Section 3 names the current phase. Section 10 sequences the next.
+- **Linear vs step-function**: most healthy SaaS growth is linear (predictable additions per month). Step-functions punctuate it. Examples: enterprise tier launch, new segment, channel breakthrough. The plan describes both honestly. It does not promise exponential.
+- **S-curve layering**: Channel × Product × Market. Start the next S-curve while the current one is still growing. Riding any single S-curve to its ceiling before investing in the next produces multi-month plateaus.
+
+## Team and agency model
+
+Strategy lives in-house. Teams can outsource execution, and often do. Full framework in `references/team-and-agency-model.md`. Three implications for every plan:
+
+1. **First hire is a strategist, not a tactician.** Look for a **π-shaped marketer** (two deep skill sets). Common high-impact combos: Product Marketing + Growth Marketing, Product Marketing + Content Marketing, Growth Marketing + Content Marketing.
+2. **Title conservatively.** First marketing hire is almost always Manager or Lead, not VP or CMO. Inflated titles paint the org into a corner when you scale.
+3. **Use contractors and small niche agencies for execution.** Most pre-Series-A companies rely on individual contractors for nearly all outsourced work. Deepen agency relationships as the company moves into Growth Stage and Scale Stage.
+
+## What every plan must customize
+
+A generic plan is a failed plan. Every plan must explicitly customize for:
+
+1. **Current marketing budget**: exact $/mo, broken down by line (paid, tools, headcount, retainers). Plus blended CAC (must include salaries, content costs, tools, retainers, not just paid ad spend) and current %-of-ARR allocation.
+2. **Unit economics**: ARPC, annual retention rate, LTV. These feed the budget math in Section 8 and Section 10.
+3. **Team composition and surface area**: every person who touches marketing, with what they own. Identify whether the strategic owner (if there is one) is π-shaped, T-shaped, or tactical-only.
+4. **What the client is currently doing**: by channel, with status (working / not / TBD).
+5. **Work already done that deserves acknowledgment**: past launches, PR moments, content, partnerships. Do not write a plan that ignores work they are proud of.
+6. **Phase of SaaS growth**: $0-10K ARR / $10K-100K / $100K-1M / $1M+. Each phase has its own binding constraint.
+7. **Future funding milestones**: when the next round closes and what budget tier it gives. Also which capability comes online (first hire, paid channels, agency relationship).
+8. **The marketing skills mapped to specific moves**: every move in the AARRR sections names the skill that executes it.
+9. **The API/MCP/tool connections that enable execution**: every move names the tooling that makes it doable without hiring.
+
+If you cannot confirm any of these in INIT, list them in the "Open decisions" part of Section 13. Never gloss over them. **CAC unknown is the highest-impact open decision.** Every revenue projection depends on it.
+
+## Common client-type variations
+
+Plan structure stays consistent. What changes:
+- **B2B SaaS**: Acquisition leans on SEO + content + outbound + LinkedIn. Activation = signup + product trial. Retention = product engagement + CSM motion. Referral = customer advocacy. Revenue = expansion / NRR.
+- **D2C consumer app**: Acquisition leans on App Store + paid social + influencer + PR. Activation = onboarding + first session + paywall. Retention = lifecycle email + push. Referral = sharing mechanics. Revenue = subscription + upsell.
+- **Hardware-led**: Acquisition leans on PR + retail + Amazon + Shopify SEO. Activation = unboxing + setup + first use. Retention = software companion + community. Referral = gifting + reviews. Revenue = blended LTV hardware + accessories + subscription.
+- **Marketplace**: Activation has two sides (supply + demand). Retention is repeat transaction frequency. Revenue is take-rate × GMV.
+- **Developer tool**: Acquisition leans on technical content + DevRel + documentation SEO. Activation = first build / first integration. Retention = depth of integration. Referral = team adoption.
+
+Detail in `references/client-types.md`.
+
+## Quality bar
+
+What separates a good plan from a generic one:
+
+**Good plan signals:**
+- Every move names the AARRR stage it serves
+- Every recommendation uses real client data (their actual budget, their actual team, their actual current channels)
+- The 90-day roadmap has owners, not just actions
+- The funding-stage section explains what changes when the next round closes
+- The ops stack section names specific skills + MCPs per move
+- The idea bank shows what we are *not* doing and why (skipped ideas with rationale)
+- The exec summary can stand alone. A founder can lift it into an investor update.
+- Open decisions are explicit, not glossed over
+
+**Failure modes to avoid:**
+- Listing tactics without sequencing
+- Recommending things the team cannot execute at current size
+- Pretending paid budget exists before the round closes
+- Glossing over uncomfortable metrics (e.g., churn) instead of naming them as open decisions
+- Generic language ("build a community," "improve SEO") without specific moves
+- Ignoring brand voice. Every plan section must respect the voice rules of the client
+- Padding the plan with skills/ideas the client does not actually need
+- Not acknowledging work the team has already done
+
+## Output format
+
+The final deliverable is a single markdown file: `~/marketing-plans/{client-slug}/final_plan.md`.
+
+Headers (`## 1. Executive summary`, etc.) are H2 for clean Notion paste. Tables for any structured comparison (RACI, idea bank, ops stack). Status legend for the idea bank. Internal references to other sections use `§N` (e.g., "see §5 for Activation detail").
+
+Length expectation: ~8,000-12,000 words for a complete plan. Shorter is fine if the client is early-stage with limited surface area. Longer is fine if the client has years of history to acknowledge.
+
+## File layout per plan
+
+```
+~/marketing-plans/
+└── {client-slug}/
+    ├── materials/         # Client-provided files (decks, audit output, brand-voice doc, etc.)
+    ├── research.md        # Research record written during INIT
+    ├── progress.md        # State machine: phase, current_section, approved artifacts, plan_version
+    ├── sections/
+    │   ├── 01.md          # Each approved section saved as a canonical artifact
+    │   └── ...            # Zero-padded so they sort in order
+    └── final_plan.md      # Compiled deliverable (FINALIZE output)
+```
+
+The full schema for `progress.md` and the resumption decision tree live in `references/methodology.md` Steps 1.1.1 and 1.1.2.
+
+## Related skills
+
+- **`product-marketing`**: Run first. Captures positioning, ICP, voice in `.agents/product-marketing.md` so every section of the plan references the same foundation.
+- **`marketing-ideas`**: Source of the 139 tactics in Section 12.
+- **`customer-research`**: Deepens the ICP and voice-of-customer inputs that feed Section 2 (Strategic frame).
+- **`onboarding`**: Deep work on Section 5 (Activation).
+- **`emails`**: Deep work on Section 6 (Retention) + onboarding emails in Section 5.
+- **`referrals`**: Deep work on Section 7 (Referral).
+- **`pricing`**: Deep work on Section 8 (Revenue).
+- **`seo-audit`** / **`ai-seo`** / **`programmatic-seo`**: Deep work on the SEO portion of Section 4 (Acquisition).
+- **`ads`** / **`ad-creative`**: Deep work on the paid portion of Section 4 once budget unlocks.
+- **`launch`**: Deep work on launch moments inside Section 4 / Section 9.
+
+## Task-specific questions (used during INIT)
+
+The full intake questionnaire lives in `references/methodology.md`. The most important questions:
+
+1. **Funding state**: What round are you in? How much raised so far? Burn? Runway? Upcoming rounds and timing?
+2. **Team**: Who are all the people who touch marketing? What does each own? Where are the gaps?
+3. **Budget**: What is the current monthly marketing spend, broken down by paid acquisition, tools, retainers, headcount? What budget unlocks when the next round closes?
+4. **Current channels**: What works today? What does not? What have you not tried yet?
+5. **Already done**: Which past campaigns, launches, content, and PR moments need acknowledgment?
+6. **In-flight**: What did we draft but not ship? What blocks each item?
+7. **Tooling stack**: What tools are connected? Customer.io / Mailchimp / Resend? Shopify / Stripe / App Store Connect? GA4 / Mixpanel / Amplitude? GitHub / Notion / Figma?
+8. **Beta or GA?**: If the product is in beta, what is the GA timeline? Throttling? What gates exist?
+9. **The most important thing to fix this quarter**: what the founder thinks.
+10. **The most important thing to ignore this quarter**: what looks important but is not.
+
+## How exhaustive must the plan be?
+
+Default to complete coverage. Founders share a plan with their team and investors. Brevity here is false economy. A 10,000-word plan with the right structure is more useful than a 3,000-word plan. A short plan misses the ops stack or the idea bank.
+
+That said: do not pad. Every section must be **dense, not bloated**. If a section has nothing to say, write that explicitly. "Q4+, long-game / not in scope for this 12-month plan" is honest and useful.
+
+## A note on tone
+
+This plan serves founders who are sharp, busy, and skeptical of marketing-speak. Write like a thoughtful colleague, not a deck-slide-writer. No jargon for its own sake. Direct claims, named tradeoffs, explicit assumptions. When unsure, name the open question rather than guessing.
+
+The exec summary must be short enough to read in 60 seconds. The rest must reward deep reading.