Brief

/octave:brief - Account Dossier & Call Prep Builder

Build beautiful, self-contained HTML account briefs powered by your Octave GTM intelligence. Designed to sit on your second monitor during a call or to review before a meeting. Unlike plain-text research, briefs render as scannable, styled reference documents with sticky navigation, collapsible sections, and print-friendly layout — grounded in real enrichment data, playbook strategy, proof points, and conversation intel.

This is an internal document for the sales team, not customer-facing collateral.

Key differentiators:

• vs /octave:research — research outputs plain text; brief renders it as a styled, scannable HTML document
• vs /octave:one-pager — one-pager is customer-facing; brief is internal prep
• vs /octave:deck — deck is a slide presentation; brief is a scrollable reference document

Usage

/octave:brief <target> [--for <occasion>] [--style <preset>]

Examples

/octave:brief acme.com                                # Full account dossier
/octave:brief jane@acme.com --for discovery           # Discovery call prep
/octave:brief acme.com --for demo                     # Demo prep brief
/octave:brief acme.com --for qbr                      # QBR prep brief
/octave:brief jane@acme.com --for follow-up           # Follow-up with prior call context
/octave:brief acme.com --for executive                # Executive meeting prep
/octave:brief "meeting with VP Sales at Acme"         # Context-based brief
/octave:brief acme.com --style paper-minimal          # Specific style preset

Occasions

Instructions

When the user runs /octave:brief:

Step 1: Understand the Context

Identify the target:

• Email address -> Person-targeted brief (enrich person + company)
• Domain -> Company-targeted brief (enrich company + find key contacts)
• LinkedIn URL -> Person-targeted brief
• Meeting description -> Extract company/people from context

Detect or ask occasion:

If --for not specified, infer from context or ask:

What are you preparing for?

1. Discovery call — First conversation, qualifying the opportunity
2. Demo — Showing the product, proving value
3. Follow-up — Continuing a conversation, advancing the deal
4. QBR — Quarterly business review with existing customer
5. Executive meeting — High-level strategic conversation
6. Deal review — Internal review of opportunity status
7. General dossier — Comprehensive account reference

Your choice:

Each occasion changes which sections are emphasized and which are de-emphasized or omitted. See the section emphasis table in Step 4.

Step 2: Octave Context Gathering

Based on the target and occasion, use Octave MCP tools to build a complete intelligence picture. Tell the user what you're researching and why.

Call as many tools as needed to build a thorough brief. The best briefs layer multiple sources — company enrichment + person enrichment + playbook messaging + proof points + conversation intel all combine to create a document grounded in real data. Don't stop at one tool when several would give you a stronger brief.

Not every tool applies to every brief. Use your judgment about which are relevant to this specific situation. The tables below show what's available — pick the combination that gives you the richest context for the occasion and target.

List vs Search — when to use which:

Rule of thumb: Use list_* when you know what type of thing you want. Use search_* when you know what topic you're looking for.

Follow-up briefs — ground them in what actually happened:

If this brief follows a previous interaction with the account (follow-up, QBR, deal review), pull findings and events to anchor the brief in real data rather than generic positioning:

• list_findings({ query: "<company or contact>", startDate: "<relevant period>" }) — surfaces what was actually said in calls: objections raised, features requested, pain points confirmed, competitor mentions
• list_events({ filters: { accounts: ["<account_oId>"] } }) — deal stage changes, meetings held, emails sent — shows the journey so far
• get_event_detail({ eventOId }) — deep dive on specific events (e.g., the discovery call, the demo) to pull exact context

This turns a generic "here's what we know" brief into "here's what happened and what to do about it" — much more useful walking into the next conversation.

For Person-Targeted Briefs

Start with person and company enrichment, then pull positioning context:

For Company-Targeted Briefs

Start with company enrichment and contact discovery:

Output of this step: Present a content outline to the user for approval before generating:

BRIEF OUTLINE: [Company/Person] — [Occasion]
=============================================

Target: [Company name / Person name at Company]
Occasion: [Discovery / Demo / Follow-up / QBR / Executive / General]
Style: [Will be selected in Step 3]

---

SECTIONS TO INCLUDE
-------------------

1. Header — "Account Brief: [Company]" + date + occasion badge
2. Company Snapshot — industry, size, HQ, funding, tech stack, signals
3. ICP Fit — fit score, matched segment, key fit reasons
4. Key Stakeholders — [N] contacts with persona matches
5. Recommended Playbook — [Playbook name], strategic angle
6. Talking Points — [occasion-specific: questions / demo flow / next steps]
7. Value Props — [N] value props tailored to this account
8. Competitive Landscape — [Competitor names if detected]
9. Proof Points — [N] relevant case studies and metrics
10. Recent Signals — [N] findings from conversations
11. Deal Timeline — [if existing deal]
12. Quick Reference — cheat sheet with key facts

Octave Sources Used:
• Company enrichment: [Company] — [key insights]
• Person enrichment: [Person] — [persona match]
• Playbook: [Playbook name] — [strategic angle]
• Proof points: [N] references pulled
• Findings: [N] recent signals
• Competitive: [If applicable]

---

Does this look good? I can:
1. Proceed to style selection and generation
2. Add or remove sections
3. Go deeper on any area
4. Change the occasion / emphasis

Wait for user approval before proceeding.

Step 3: Style Selection

The brief uses the same CSS variable / style preset system as /octave:deck. Full preset definitions are in the deck skill's STYLE_PRESETS.md.

Briefs default to readability-optimized presets. If --style was not provided, ask:

Pick a style for your brief:

1. midnight-pro     — Dark navy, white text, blue accents (default for briefs)
2. paper-minimal    — Off-white, black type, editorial simplicity
3. executive-dark   — Charcoal + gold, premium boardroom aesthetic
4. soft-light       — Warm white + sage green, calm and approachable
5. swiss-modern     — White + red accent, Bauhaus minimal
6. Use my brand     — Extract from website or provide colors
7. Match my deck    — Use the same style as an existing /octave:deck

Your choice (or press Enter for midnight-pro):

If the user selects "Use my brand," follow the brand discovery flow from the deck skill (website extraction via browser-use or WebFetch, manual fallback). If they select "Match my deck," ask for the deck file path and extract its CSS variables.

Step 4: Generate HTML

Build a single self-contained HTML file. The brief is a scrollable reference document — not a slide deck. Natural page scroll, sticky sidebar navigation, collapsible sections, and a print-friendly layout.

Output Directory

.octave-briefs/
└── <kebab-case-name>-<YYYY-MM-DD>/
    └── <name>.html

Example: /octave:brief acme.com --for discovery -> .octave-briefs/acme-discovery-2026-02-11/acme-discovery.html

The .octave-briefs/ directory should be in .gitignore.

Document Sections (Full Dossier)

Not all sections appear in every brief. The occasion determines emphasis:

Section definitions:

1. Header — "Account Brief: [Company]" + generation date + occasion badge (pill label like "Discovery Prep" or "QBR Brief")
2. Company Snapshot — Company name, logo (if available), industry, employee count, HQ location, funding stage, tech stack highlights, recent news/signals. Card-based layout.
3. ICP Fit — Fit score with a visual progress bar, matched segment name, 3-5 key fit reasons as checkmarks, any red flags as warnings.
4. Key Stakeholders — Cards for each person: name, title, LinkedIn URL, matched persona, inferred priorities, communication style notes. Highlight the primary contact.
5. Recommended Playbook — Playbook name, strategic angle, key themes to drive. Brief summary of the recommended approach.
6. Talking Points — Occasion-specific content:
   • Discovery: open-ended questions organized by category (rapport, pain exploration, qualification, future state)
   • Demo: recommended flow, features to highlight, proof points to weave in
   • Follow-up: recap of what was discussed, open items, proposed next steps
   • QBR: value delivered, metrics to highlight, expansion opportunities
   • Executive: strategic themes, board-level talking points, concise value narrative
7. Value Props to Lead With — 3-4 value props tailored to this account, each with a headline, supporting evidence, and a "say this" phrasing.
8. Competitive Landscape — If competitors detected: comparison table with key differentiators, landmine questions to ask, traps to avoid. Omit if no competitive signals.
9. Proof Points to Reference — Relevant case studies with metric highlights, customer quotes, and logo. Organized by relevance to this account's industry/size/use case.
10. Recent Signals — From findings: what was said in calls, objections raised, features requested, sentiment indicators. Each signal has a date and source. Omit if no findings data.
11. Deal Timeline — If existing deal: visual stage history (horizontal timeline or vertical step list), key events, current stage, days in stage, next milestone. Omit for new prospects.
12. Quick Reference — Sticky sidebar or footer cheat sheet: key facts at a glance, do's and don'ts for this conversation, one-line reminders. Always visible while scrolling.

HTML Architecture

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>Account Brief: [Company] — [Occasion]</title>
  <!-- Google Fonts (preconnect + stylesheet) -->
  <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
  <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=[fonts]&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
  <style>
    /* === CSS Variables (from chosen preset) === */
    :root { ... }

    /* === Reset & Base === */
    *, *::before, *::after { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }
    html { scroll-behavior: smooth; }
    body {
      background: var(--bg);
      color: var(--text-primary);
      font-family: var(--font-body);
      line-height: 1.6;
    }

    /* === Layout === */
    .brief-container {
      max-width: 900px;
      margin: 0 auto;
      padding: 2rem clamp(1rem, 4vw, 3rem);
    }

    /* === Sidebar Navigation (sticky) === */
    .brief-nav {
      position: fixed;
      top: 50%;
      right: clamp(0.5rem, 2vw, 2rem);
      transform: translateY(-50%);
      display: flex;
      flex-direction: column;
      gap: 0.5rem;
      z-index: 100;
    }
    .brief-nav a {
      display: block;
      width: 8px;
      height: 8px;
      border-radius: 50%;
      background: var(--text-muted);
      transition: all 0.3s ease;
    }
    .brief-nav a.active {
      background: var(--brand-primary);
      transform: scale(1.4);
    }

    /* === Section Styles === */
    .brief-section {
      margin-bottom: 2.5rem;
      padding-bottom: 2rem;
      border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
    }

    /* === Collapsible Sections (details/summary) === */
    details.brief-section {
      border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
      margin-bottom: 2.5rem;
      padding-bottom: 1rem;
    }
    details.brief-section summary {
      cursor: pointer;
      font-family: var(--font-display);
      font-size: clamp(1.1rem, 2vw, 1.4rem);
      font-weight: 600;
      color: var(--text-primary);
      padding: 0.75rem 0;
      list-style: none;
      display: flex;
      align-items: center;
      gap: 0.5rem;
    }
    details.brief-section summary::before {
      content: "\25B6";
      font-size: 0.7em;
      color: var(--brand-primary);
      transition: transform 0.2s ease;
    }
    details.brief-section[open] summary::before {
      transform: rotate(90deg);
    }

    /* === Cards === */
    .card {
      background: var(--bg-card);
      border: 1px solid var(--border);
      border-radius: var(--radius-lg);
      padding: clamp(1rem, 2vw, 1.5rem);
    }
    .card:hover {
      background: var(--bg-card-hover);
    }

    /* === Stakeholder Cards === */
    .stakeholder-card {
      display: flex;
      gap: 1rem;
      align-items: flex-start;
    }
    .stakeholder-avatar {
      width: 48px;
      height: 48px;
      border-radius: 50%;
      background: var(--brand-primary);
      display: flex;
      align-items: center;
      justify-content: center;
      color: white;
      font-weight: 700;
      flex-shrink: 0;
    }

    /* === Fit Score Bar === */
    .fit-bar {
      height: 8px;
      border-radius: 4px;
      background: var(--bg-elevated);
      overflow: hidden;
      margin: 0.5rem 0;
    }
    .fit-bar-fill {
      height: 100%;
      border-radius: 4px;
      background: var(--success);
      transition: width 0.8s ease;
    }

    /* === Occasion Badge === */
    .occasion-badge {
      display: inline-block;
      padding: 0.25rem 0.75rem;
      border-radius: var(--radius-pill);
      background: var(--brand-primary);
      color: white;
      font-size: 0.75rem;
      font-weight: 600;
      text-transform: uppercase;
      letter-spacing: 0.05em;
    }

    /* === Timeline === */
    .timeline {
      position: relative;
      padding-left: 2rem;
    }
    .timeline::before {
      content: "";
      position: absolute;
      left: 0.5rem;
      top: 0;
      bottom: 0;
      width: 2px;
      background: var(--border-strong);
    }
    .timeline-event {
      position: relative;
      margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
      padding-left: 1rem;
    }
    .timeline-event::before {
      content: "";
      position: absolute;
      left: -1.75rem;
      top: 0.5rem;
      width: 10px;
      height: 10px;
      border-radius: 50%;
      background: var(--brand-primary);
    }

    /* === Grid Utilities === */
    .grid-2 { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr); gap: clamp(0.75rem, 1.5vw, 1.25rem); }
    .grid-3 { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr); gap: clamp(0.75rem, 1.5vw, 1.25rem); }

    /* === Typography === */
    .section-title {
      font-family: var(--font-display);
      font-size: clamp(1.1rem, 2vw, 1.4rem);
      font-weight: 600;
      margin-bottom: 1rem;
    }
    .body-text { font-size: clamp(0.85rem, 1.2vw, 1rem); }
    .text-secondary { color: var(--text-secondary); }
    .text-muted { color: var(--text-muted); }

    /* === Quick Reference Sidebar === */
    @media (min-width: 1200px) {
      .brief-layout {
        display: grid;
        grid-template-columns: 1fr 280px;
        gap: 2rem;
        max-width: 1200px;
        margin: 0 auto;
      }
      .quick-ref {
        position: sticky;
        top: 2rem;
        align-self: start;
        max-height: calc(100vh - 4rem);
        overflow-y: auto;
      }
    }
    @media (max-width: 1199px) {
      .quick-ref {
        margin-top: 2rem;
        border-top: 2px solid var(--border-strong);
        padding-top: 2rem;
      }
    }

    /* === Print Styles === */
    @media print {
      .brief-nav { display: none; }
      .brief-container { max-width: 100%; padding: 1rem; }
      details.brief-section { open; }
      details.brief-section[open] { break-inside: avoid; }
      .card { break-inside: avoid; }
      body { color: #111; background: white; }
      .occasion-badge { border: 1px solid #111; background: transparent; color: #111; }
    }

    /* === Responsive === */
    @media (max-width: 768px) {
      .grid-2, .grid-3 { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
      .brief-nav { display: none; }
    }

    /* === prefers-reduced-motion === */
    @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
      * { transition: none !important; animation: none !important; }
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>

  <!-- Sidebar Navigation Dots -->
  <nav class="brief-nav" id="brief-nav">
    <!-- Generated by JS: one dot per section -->
  </nav>

  <!-- Main Brief -->
  <div class="brief-layout">
    <main class="brief-container">

      <!-- Header -->
      <header class="brief-header">
        <span class="occasion-badge">[Occasion] Prep</span>
        <h1>[Account Brief: Company Name]</h1>
        <p class="text-secondary">[Generated date] · [Target person if applicable]</p>
      </header>

      <!-- Sections (use <details> for collapsible, <section> for always-open) -->
      <details class="brief-section" open id="company-snapshot">
        <summary>Company Snapshot</summary>
        <div class="grid-2">
          <!-- Company info cards -->
        </div>
      </details>

      <details class="brief-section" open id="icp-fit">
        <summary>ICP Fit</summary>
        <!-- Fit score bar, segment match, fit reasons -->
      </details>

      <!-- Continue for each section... -->

    </main>

    <!-- Quick Reference Sidebar -->
    <aside class="quick-ref">
      <h3>Quick Reference</h3>
      <!-- Key facts, do's/don'ts, one-line reminders -->
    </aside>
  </div>

  <script>
    // Generate nav dots from sections
    // Intersection Observer for active section tracking
    // Smooth scroll on nav dot click
    // Open all details on print (window.onbeforeprint)
  </script>

</body>
</html>

Self-contained: Inline CSS, zero external dependencies (except Google Fonts). No JavaScript frameworks.

Key differences from deck HTML:

• No scroll-snap (natural page scrolling)
• No slide containers (continuous document flow)
• Collapsible sections via <details>/<summary> for quick scanning
• Sticky sidebar navigation instead of slide nav dots
• Optional sidebar for quick reference (on wide screens)
• Max-width 900px for comfortable reading
• Print-friendly with @media print

Content Density Guidelines

Briefs are reference documents, not presentations — they can hold more content per section than slides. But keep it scannable:

If a section would exceed its limit, prioritize by relevance to the occasion and trim the rest.

Step 5: Delivery

After generating the HTML file:

1. Open the brief in the default browser
2. Present a summary:

BRIEF READY
============

Folder: .octave-briefs/<brief-name>-<date>/
File:   .octave-briefs/<brief-name>-<date>/<brief-name>.html
Style:  [Preset name or "Custom Brand"]
Sections: [List of included sections]

Navigation:
- Scroll naturally to read through sections
- Click nav dots on the right edge to jump to sections
- Click section headers to collapse/expand
- Print-friendly: Cmd+P / Ctrl+P for clean PDF output

---

Want me to:
1. Adjust or expand a section
2. Add/remove stakeholders
3. Go deeper on any topic (competitive, signals, value props)
4. Change the style
5. Export as PDF (print dialog)
6. Generate a customer-facing one-pager from this (/octave:one-pager)
7. Build a presentation from this (/octave:deck)
8. Done

MCP Tools Used

Research & Enrichment

• enrich_company — Full company intelligence profile
• enrich_person — Full person intelligence report
• find_person — Find contacts at a company by title/role
• find_company — Find companies matching criteria
• qualify_company — ICP fit scoring for a company
• qualify_person — ICP fit scoring for a person

Library — Fetching Entities

• list_all_entities — Quick scan of all entities of a type (minimal fields, no pagination)
• list_entities — Fetch entities with full data and pagination (proof points, references, etc.)
• get_entity — Deep dive on one specific entity
• get_playbook — Retrieve a playbook with full content and value props
• list_value_props — Value propositions for a specific playbook

Library — Searching

• search_knowledge_base — Semantic search across library entities and resources
• list_resources — Browse uploaded docs, URLs, and Google Drive files
• search_resources — Semantic search across uploaded resources

Intelligence & Signals

• list_findings — Recent conversation findings and insights
• list_events — Deal events (stage changes, meetings, outcomes)
• get_event_detail — Full details for a specific event

Content Generation

• generate_call_prep — Synthesized prep brief (useful as a starting point)
• generate_content — Generate positioning or messaging content

Error Handling

Octave Connection Failed:

Could not connect to your Octave workspace.

The brief builder needs Octave data to generate useful content. Without it, most sections would be empty.

To reconnect: check your MCP configuration or run /octave:workspace status

Company Not Found:

I couldn't find detailed intelligence for [domain].

Options:

1. Check the domain spelling and try again
2. Try a different domain or company name
3. Provide company details manually and I'll structure the brief

Person Not Found:

I couldn't find detailed information for [email/name].

I found their company ([Company]). Would you like me to:

1. Proceed with company research + generic persona guidance
2. Search for them on LinkedIn (provide URL)
3. Create a brief based on their title and company alone

No Matching Playbook:

No playbook matches this audience profile directly.

I'll use your general value props and positioning from the knowledge base. Consider creating a playbook for this segment: /octave:library create playbook

No Findings Data:

No conversation signals found for [company/person].

This may be a new prospect with no prior interactions. I'll skip the Recent Signals and Deal Timeline sections and focus on enrichment data, playbook strategy, and proof points instead.

No Proof Points:

No proof points found in your library.

The Proof Points section will be omitted. To strengthen future briefs, add case studies and customer references to your Octave library.

Related Skills

• /octave:research — Text-based research and prep (brief is the visual, rendered version)
• /octave:one-pager — Customer-facing leave-behind document (brief is internal)
• /octave:deck — Full slide presentation (brief is a reference document)
• /octave:battlecard-doc — Competitive reference document (brief includes competitive context but is broader)
• /octave:pipeline — Deal-level coaching and pipeline strategy
• /octave:generate — Generate outreach content with brand voice control
• /octave:insights — Conversation intelligence deep dives

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