markbaindesign Triage (Autolycus)
Read an inbound signal, classify it, qualify it if it's an RFQ, and produce a routing decision.
The signal text is whatever Mark pastes — an email body, a LinkedIn message, a Upwork direct message, a contact form submission, a referral intro. Treat it as raw input.
Steps
1. Classify the signal
Determine which type the signal is:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| RFQ | A request for a quote, brief, or proposal — someone wants work done |
| Support | An existing client asking for help, changes, or fixes |
| Referral intro | A third party introducing a potential client |
| General enquiry | Questions about the studio, services, or availability — not a specific brief |
| Spam | Mass outreach, irrelevant, or low-signal noise |
If the signal is ambiguous, note the ambiguity and classify as the most likely type.
2. Check for known client
Scan {CONTENT_DIR}/portfolio/project-database.csv for the client name or company. If found, note the project history: year, outcome grade, would-repeat flag. This is relevant context for qualification.
3. Qualify (RFQs and general enquiries only)
Score the signal against the studio's criteria. Note each point — do not just output a verdict.
Stack fit — does the brief mention technologies in the studio's wheelhouse?
- In wheelhouse: WordPress, WooCommerce, PHP, custom theme/plugin, web design/dev, Divi, ACF, Elementor, React, Next.js, Astro, headless, frontend
- Outside wheelhouse: mobile apps, native apps, game dev, data science, non-web software
Budget signal — what does the brief reveal about budget?
- Good: rate or budget mentioned and is reasonable (fixed >€1000, hourly >€50/hr, or clearly a substantial project)
- Neutral: budget not mentioned but scope suggests reasonable scale
- Concern: "quick job", "simple task", hourly <€30 mentioned, or "other devs quoted €X and it seemed high"
Brief clarity — how well does the client know what they want?
- Clear: deliverables described, platform/CMS known, goals stated
- Vague: outcome described but no specifics on how to achieve it
- Unclear: "build me a website" with no further detail
Timeline — is the deadline realistic?
- Fine: weeks or months, or not stated
- Tight but manageable: days to a week for something small
- Concern: "I need this by tomorrow", "ASAP", or "it should only take a few hours"
Red flags — note any of these if present:
- "My previous developer disappeared / ghosted / failed"
- "It should be simple" combined with complex requirements
- Requests to work for equity only
- Unusually aggressive tone or entitlement
- Multiple rounds of "just one more thing" already visible in the brief
Verdict:
- Pursue — good fit, route to Athena
- Investigate — mixed signals, one or two questions will determine fit
- Decline — clear poor fit or red flags
4. Route
If Pursue: Produce a structured Athena brief (format below). Log and continue.
If Investigate: List the 1–3 questions that need answers before a routing decision can be made. Draft a short reply asking them (max 3 sentences, friendly tone). Log and continue.
If Decline: Draft a polite decline (format below). Log and continue.
If Support: Note which project this relates to (check project-database.csv). Route to Hephaestus: flag what's needed and which project directory it likely lives in.
If Referral intro: Draft a warm acknowledgement reply. Note the referral source — this is useful for Mnemosyne over time.
If Spam: Note it and discard. No draft reply needed.
5. Log to triage log
Append an entry to {CONTENT_DIR}/pipeline/triage-log.md using this format:
---
## [YYYY-MM-DD] — [Signal type] — [Client name or "Unknown"]
**Channel:** [Email / LinkedIn / Upwork DM / Referral / Contact form / Other]
**Verdict:** [Pursue / Investigate / Decline / Support / Referral / Spam]
**Client history:** [Known: last project + outcome] or [New client]
### Summary
One paragraph: what they're asking for and any notable context.
### Qualification notes
(RFQs only — brief bullets on stack fit, budget signal, brief clarity, red flags)
### Action taken
What was produced: Athena brief / investigation questions / decline draft / routing note.
If {CONTENT_DIR}/pipeline/triage-log.md does not exist, create it with a heading # Triage Log before the first entry.
6. Output
Present to Mark:
- The classification and verdict
- The produced output (Athena brief, investigation reply, or decline draft)
- A one-line note on what was logged
Output formats
Athena brief
## Brief — [slug] — [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Client:** [Name / Company]
**Channel:** [Source]
**Contact:** [Email or profile URL if given]
### What they want
[Paraphrase of the request in plain terms]
### Budget & timeline
**Budget:** [Stated amount, or "not stated"]
**Timeline:** [Stated deadline, or "not stated"]
### Tech context
[Any stack, platform, or technical requirements mentioned]
### Open questions for Athena
- [Things that need clarifying before scope can be set]
Athena briefs are saved to {CONTENT_DIR}/pipeline/briefs/[slug]-[date].md.
Decline draft
Subject: Re: [their subject or "Your enquiry"]
Hi [first name],
Thanks for getting in touch. [One specific sentence acknowledging what they're looking for.]
[One honest sentence explaining why it's not the right fit — too far from the studio's stack, timeline doesn't work, fully booked — without over-explaining.]
I hope you find the right person for it. [Optional: one-line referral if you know someone who'd be a good fit.]
Mark
Keep it under 80 words. Specific, warm, no false promises.
Notes
- The automated Upwork pipeline (PIPE project) handles Upwork alert emails. Use this skill for DMs, emails, LinkedIn, referrals, and contact form submissions.
- For known clients with a poor outcome grade or Would Repeat = FALSE, note this in the qualification — it factors into the pursuit decision.
- Never invent budget or timeline figures not stated in the signal.
- Slug format: client name or company lowercased, spaces to hyphens, date appended (e.g.
harper-legal-2026-05).