Cold-email coach
Source: points/cold-email-rules.md and points/banned-jargon.md. Read those first.
What this skill does
Given a draft (or a target + context), produce a cold email that survives the 15-second test:
- Subject line that cannot be ignored
- First sentence that tells them something they don't know
- One specific story or "like you" hook
- Picks one lane — does not dump a resume
- Ends with a small, specific ask + an offer
The philosophy in one line
A cold email is a pitch for what you can do for them, not a request for what you want. "Tell me how you're going to make my life astronomically better than before I met you."
Mode 1 — Draft from scratch
If the user gives you a target + context, walk through the 10 rules in order before writing:
- What do you know about this person? (LinkedIn, podcasts, recent news — name 3 specific facts)
- What do they not know that you can tell them? (one-sentence thesis about their industry's future)
- Subject line options — three candidates, all personal/timely/unusual
- Mutual contacts — who can you name?
- "Like you" — one specific, genuine comparison
- Story — one scene with date, place, sensory detail
- The lane — one example of how you help them (not your whole resume)
- Confidence calibration — confident but not boastful
- The ask — small, specific, with door open for no, under 200 words total
- The offer — what are you giving them?
Then write. Always under 200 words.
Mode 2 — Critique an existing draft
Mark the draft against the pre-send checklist item by item. Quote the specific lines that fail and rewrite them.
Specific things to flag:
- "I hope you are well" / "My name is X" / "Good morning" — delete
- "I'd love to pick your brain" / "I'd love to grab coffee" — too vague
- "Like you, but at a vastly smaller scale" — self-diminishing
- Resume dumps — pick one lane
- Asks over 200 words — cut
- "Just following up" — rewrite as a new email with new info
jobs@, pitches@, careers@ recipients — find the human
Killer subject-line shapes
Three patterns that get the email opened:
- A specific shared object or moment from your history with the recipient — a gift, a year, a place you both know. Concrete enough that the reader has to remember the moment.
- An unusual prior identity paired with the current credential — "[unusual prior career] turned [current credential]," or "[current credential] who [unexpected activity]." The reader's brain pauses on the gap.
- A small named shared place or institution — but only when small enough to mean something specific. Reference the section, the year, the program, not the school.
What they share: personal, specific, unusual.
Length rule
Under 200 words. If draft is over, you haven't picked a lane. Cut.
The follow-up rule
If the first email got read but not answered, do NOT reply "just following up." Write a new email referencing the first, with new information, a new hook, or a new reason for urgency. Maintain or escalate the ask.
When you finish
Hand back: (a) the rewritten email, (b) a 3-bullet summary of what you changed and why, (c) a flag for any factual claim the user needs to verify before sending.
1---2name: cold-email-coach3description: Drafts and critiques cold emails using Rachel Konrad's 10 rules, Heidi Roizen's mailing rules, and Danny Hertzberg's six elements. Use whenever the user is writing a cold email, LinkedIn DM, intro request, hiring-manager outreach, VC pitch email, or any unsolicited message to someone with more power than them. Triggers on phrases like "cold email," "reach out to," "intro request," "DM," "outreach," "warm intro," "follow up email."4---56# Cold-email coach78Source: `points/cold-email-rules.md` and `points/banned-jargon.md`. Read those first.910## What this skill does1112Given a draft (or a target + context), produce a cold email that survives the 15-second test:13141. Subject line that cannot be ignored152. First sentence that tells them something they don't know163. One specific story or "like you" hook174. Picks one lane — does not dump a resume185. Ends with a small, specific ask + an offer1920## The philosophy in one line2122A cold email is a **pitch** for what you can do for them, not a request for what you want. *"Tell me how you're going to make my life astronomically better than before I met you."*2324## Mode 1 — Draft from scratch2526If the user gives you a target + context, walk through the 10 rules **in order** before writing:27281. What do you know about this person? (LinkedIn, podcasts, recent news — name 3 specific facts)292. What do they not know that you can tell them? (one-sentence thesis about their industry's future)303. Subject line options — three candidates, all personal/timely/unusual314. Mutual contacts — who can you name?325. "Like you" — one specific, genuine comparison336. Story — one scene with date, place, sensory detail347. The lane — one example of how you help them (not your whole resume)358. Confidence calibration — confident but not boastful369. The ask — small, specific, with door open for no, under 200 words total3710. The offer — what are you giving them?3839Then write. Always under 200 words.4041## Mode 2 — Critique an existing draft4243Mark the draft against the [pre-send checklist](../../points/pre-send-checklist.md) item by item. Quote the specific lines that fail and rewrite them.4445Specific things to flag:4647- *"I hope you are well"* / *"My name is X"* / *"Good morning"* — delete48- *"I'd love to pick your brain"* / *"I'd love to grab coffee"* — too vague49- *"Like you, but at a vastly smaller scale"* — self-diminishing50- Resume dumps — pick one lane51- Asks over 200 words — cut52- *"Just following up"* — rewrite as a new email with new info53- `jobs@`, `pitches@`, `careers@` recipients — find the human5455## Killer subject-line shapes5657Three patterns that get the email opened:5859- **A specific shared object or moment** from your history with the recipient — a gift, a year, a place you both know. Concrete enough that the reader has to remember the moment.60- **An unusual prior identity paired with the current credential** — *"[unusual prior career] turned [current credential],"* or *"[current credential] who [unexpected activity]."* The reader's brain pauses on the gap.61- **A small named shared place or institution** — but only when small enough to mean something specific. Reference the section, the year, the program, not the school.6263What they share: personal, specific, unusual.6465## Length rule6667**Under 200 words.** If draft is over, you haven't picked a lane. Cut.6869## The follow-up rule7071If the first email got read but not answered, do NOT reply *"just following up."* Write a new email referencing the first, with new information, a new hook, or a new reason for urgency. Maintain or escalate the ask.7273## When you finish7475Hand back: (a) the rewritten email, (b) a 3-bullet summary of what you changed and why, (c) a flag for any factual claim the user needs to verify before sending.
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