# Discovery

> Research source (Exa)

- Skill: `matteotitta/discovery` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add matteotitta/discovery`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/matteotitta/discovery/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Product & Planning
- Author: matteotitta (https://skillmd.com/u/matteotitta)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/matteotitta/discovery

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## Research source (Exa)

**Default:** Exa, per `.claude/rules/exa-protocol.md` (auto-loaded for research, audit, competitor, ICP, AEO, content sourcing, sales prospecting work).

**Primary Exa tools for this skill:** `company_research_exa, web_search_exa`.

**Use case:** pre-call account intel for prospect-prep.

**Tool surface during the migration window:**
- New plugin (preferred): `mcp__plugin_exa_exa__company_research_exa` (after `claude plugin i exa@claude-plugins-official`).
- Legacy MCP (still mounted): `mcp__exa__company_research_exa`.
- Both backends route to the same Exa API — they don't double-bill.

**Citation:** every Exa-derived claim uses `[VERIFIED: exa_search, {url}, accessed {YYYY-MM-DD}]` per `.claude/rules/ontology.md`.

**Quality gate (research outputs):** ≥3 sources per major claim, ≥50% `[VERIFIED]` confidence, date filter for any "recent / latest" claim, no fallback to `WebSearch` without flagging the data gap.

**Worked examples + tool catalog:** `.claude/skills/meta-skills/exa/`.

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# Client discovery

Generate tailored discovery call scripts based on prospect context. Maps research to targeted questions and listening cues for qualification.

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## Doctrine inherited (Step 7 — 0626 rollout, locked 2026-06-04)

Output complies with [`output-tenets.md`](../../../../rules/output-tenets.md), [`output-simplicity.md`](../../../../rules/output-simplicity.md), [`outbound-research-hygiene.md`](../../../../rules/outbound-research-hygiene.md). Step 6 calibration: see [[feedback_execution_doctrine_refinements_step6]].

**Refinements applied:** R1 (discovery script is internal rep-facing — inline cites stay for QA), R3 (question framing operator-direct), R9 (verb-led script section names).

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## Process at a glance

```
INPUT VALIDATION → RESEARCH PROSPECT → GENERATE QUESTIONS → ADD CUES → REVIEW & CHAIN
```

Three steps:
1. Research prospect website + LinkedIn + sent materials, build opening playbook
2. Generate tailored questions across 8 categories
3. Add listening cues + qualification criteria

Full flowchart, step-by-step runbook, and self-evaluation gate live in the premium reference.

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## Claude Code triggers

**Invoke this skill when user says:**
- "Discovery call for [company]"
- "Discovery questions for [prospect]"
- "Prepare for discovery with [company]"
- "Qualify this prospect"
- "Discovery prep"

**Do NOT invoke when:**
- User wants company research only → Use `company-context` skill
- User wants to create a proposal → Use `client-proposals` skill
- User wants ICP research for a client → Use `icp-behavioural` skill

---

## Inputs

### Required

| Input | Description | Source |
|-------|-------------|--------|
| **Company identifier** | Website URL, name, or any context | User provides |

### Optional (improve quality)

| Input | How it helps |
|-------|--------------|
| company-context output | Pre-researched traction and qualification |
| Funding stage | Sets expectations for budget and scope |
| Known pain points | Focuses discovery questions |
| Meeting context | Any prior conversations or emails |

**If inputs are missing:** Ask for company URL or name.

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## Discovery question categories (8 total)

| Category | Purpose | Anchor question | Time |
|----------|---------|-----------------|------|
| **Company/product** | Stage, GTM motion, marketing function | "How is your marketing function structured today?" | 5-7 min |
| **Goals and priorities** | Triggers, success metrics, past failures | "What triggered this conversation now?" | 5-7 min |
| **ICP and competitive** | Buyer personas, competitors | "Who are your top 3 competitors?" | 5-7 min |
| **Messaging and positioning** | Current frameworks, customer voice | "How would your best customers describe you?" | 5-7 min |
| **Website and conversion** | Satisfaction, scope, resources | "What's your conversion rate today?" | 3-5 min |
| **Content and distribution** | Founder time, LinkedIn priority | "How much time can founders dedicate to content?" | 3-5 min |
| **Resources and constraints** | Budget, team, decision-makers | "What's the budget range you're working with?" | 3-5 min |
| **Timeline and next steps** | Urgency, process | "When do you need to see results?" | 3-5 min |

Full question bank by category in the premium reference.

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## Anti-hallucination guardrails

1. **Base context on research.** Use actual website content, not assumptions.
2. **Tailor questions to findings.** Reference specific things you observed.
3. **Mark assumptions.** If inferring from limited data, note explicitly.
4. **No invented details.** If you can't find funding info, don't make it up.

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## Integration with other skills

| Skill | Relationship |
|-------|--------------|
| **company-context** | Pre-research prospect before discovery |
| **sales-call-playbook** | Generate during-call guide (run immediately after discovery) |
| **client-proposals** | Create proposal after discovery call |

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## MCP data integration

**Level:** 0 — Context (heavy pulls)

**Inherits from:** company-context (if already ran for this company — skip Exa/Firecrawl/Apollo)

### Pulls fresh

| Source | What to pull | Tool | When |
|--------|-------------|------|------|
| **Exa** | Prospect company profile | `company_research_exa` | Always |
| **Firecrawl** | Prospect website scrape | `firecrawl_scrape` | Always |
| **Apollo** | Org + key people enrichment | `apollo_search_companies`, `apollo_search_people` | Always |
| **YouTube** | Prospect YouTube presence/content | `get_transcript` | If YouTube channel exists |
| **Slack** | Prior conversations with prospect | `slack_search_public` | Always |
| **Granola** | Previous meetings with prospect | `search_meetings` | Always |

### Fallback (no MCP)

- WebSearch + WebFetch for prospect research
- Manual LinkedIn research for contacts
- Manual conversation history review

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## Final ship gate

Run `/premortem --output` before ship. See [`/premortem` skill](../../../meta/orchestration/premortem/SKILL.md) for the 5 execution domains (will-it-resonate / will-it-convert / will-it-stay-on-brand / will-stakeholder-push-back / will-it-degrade-over-time) and output template.

Trivial-case escape: `## Premortem\nNo failure modes — trivial change` satisfies the contract for genuinely trivial outputs.

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