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Everyone leaves a trail of public work, and reading it properly is how you find something real to say. This skill researches one person from what they've shared, finds a genuine reason to write or tells you there isn't one yet, and lists what to leave out.
Ask an AI about this skill: ChatGPT · Claude · Perplexity
“Everybody has a digital blueprint, a thumbprint, so to speak, on the web... They want to be seen, they want to be found, they want to be recognized for the work they do.”
Find what a name and a job title could never tell you.
Most "personalised" messages are a template with a first name and a company dropped in, and people can tell within a line. Everyone leaves a trail online, and founders, creators and decision-makers most of all: posts, talks, articles, newsletters, interviews. Most of them want their work to be found. Reading it properly is how you find something real to say.
The reaction you're after is "yes, that's exactly the problem I have". The reaction to avoid is "how do you know that?"
What you need
- What you sell, in one line.
- Who the person is, and where you came across them.
Steps
Start where you found them. Read the post or comment that caught your attention, and the conversation around it.
Read their recent public work. What are they building, writing or talking about? What do they seem to care about? What have they already tried?
Look for the real reason to write. Something they're working through where you have something genuine to offer. If you can't find one, the honest answer is not to write yet.
Check fit. Are they likely to buy, or do they sell something similar? Is the problem current, or something they solved long ago?
Decide what not to mention. Anything personal, anything from somewhere they wouldn't expect you to have looked, anything that makes them wonder how you know it. Knowing it can still help you understand them. Saying it rarely helps.
Output
Who: <one line>
Where you found them: <link and what they said, in your own words>
What they're working through: <a sentence or two>
The real reason to write: <one sentence, or "none yet">
What to open with: <something they'd be glad you noticed>
Leave out: <what you know but shouldn't mention>
Fit: <likely buyer / not a buyer / unsure, and why>
Rules
- Respect is the point. Research is to understand them, not to show off what you found.
- Don't quote their words back at them. Show you understood them in your own words.
- If there's nothing genuine to say, wait.
With MyPip (coming)
MyPip researches the best people it finds for you every day and gives you the reason they're ready and the way in. When the MyPip MCP is live, this skill will be able to open those briefs directly.