notslop-write-cold-dm

name	notslop-write-cold-dm
description	Use when the user wants to write a cold DM to someone on Twitter/X or LinkedIn — pulls the recipient's recent posts via notslop and grounds the DM in something specific they said. Outputs a message that respects the recipient's time and references a real thing, not generic flattery.

Providers required

Capability	Required	Providers (BYOK)	Setup	Cost
Pull social signal (Reddit/HN/blogs)	yes	built-in, no key needed	—	free
Rerank by relevance	yes	ZeroEntropy zerank-2	PROVIDERS.md#zeroentropy-rerank--embed	free tier OK
Embed for cross-source dedup	yes	ZeroEntropy zembed-1	PROVIDERS.md#zeroentropy-rerank--embed	free tier OK
Scrape X posts	if target is on X	Orthogonal (ScrapeCreators)	PROVIDERS.md#x-twitter--via-orthogonal	~$0.02/handle, $10 free at signup

When to use this skill

• "Write a cold DM to @"
• "Help me reach out to on Twitter/LinkedIn"
• "Draft an intro DM to asking for "
• The user mentions cold outreach, DM, or reaching out to someone specific.

For Reddit replies, use notslop-write-reddit-reply. For broad-audience tweets, use notslop-write-x-tweet.

Setup

notslop init configured. ZeroEntropy key set.

Steps

1. Ask the user (if not already provided):

   • Recipient handle (e.g. @karpathy) or full name
   • Goal of the DM: intro, ask for feedback, pitch a project, ask for an intro to someone, etc. Be specific — "build a relationship" is not a goal.
   • Platform: X (Twitter) or LinkedIn
   • Who the user is (1 line — needed for the sign-off context)

2. Pull the recipient's recent thinking. Try in this order:

   • If the recipient has a configured voices/list entry, use it:

     notslop voices "<recipient handle or topic>" --top 10 --for-content
     

   • Otherwise add a temp X list scoped to the recipient, then digest it:

     notslop list add temp_dm --kind x_profiles --items <handle>
     notslop digest "<topic the recipient cares about>" --list temp_dm --since 30d --top 10 --for-content
     

   • As a fallback (no X profile / LinkedIn only): digest on their name/topic:

     notslop digest "<recipient name>" --since 30d --top 10 --for-content
     

3. Read the output. If the recipient hasn't posted in 30 days, stop and suggest the user pick someone else — there's no signal to ground in.

4. Pick 1 specific recent post or theme the recipient has been engaging with. Quote or paraphrase it.

5. Write the DM. Structure:

   • Greeting: first name only. No "Hey there", no "Hi ".
   • Hook (1-2 sentences): reference the specific recent post or theme. Show you actually read it — paraphrase a point, push back gently, or extend it.
   • The ask (1-2 sentences): what you want, time-bounded. "5-min feedback on X" / "intro to your CTO if it makes sense" / "your take on Y".
   • Sign-off: first name + one-line context about who you are. No "best regards", no email signature block.

6. Length cap: 50-90 words total. Twitter DM tolerates 1000 chars but tight wins. LinkedIn DMs have a 300-char preview — keep the hook in the first 200 chars.

7. Show the draft. Below it, print the 1 source post you grounded in (URL or quoted line).

Output format

Print:

1. The DM text.
2. Word count.
3. The 1 source post / theme you grounded in.

Constraints

• Never say "I love your work", "huge fan", "your content has been so impactful", "your thread on X changed my life". Show, don't tell — reference the specific post.
• No "quick question", "got a sec", "hope you're well", "sorry to bother you".
• No 5-paragraph essays. If the ask needs more than 90 words, it needs a different channel (email, intro request).
• No links in the first DM unless the user explicitly wants to share a demo (and even then, prefer waiting for a reply).
• No emojis unless the user asks.
• If the recipient hasn't posted in 30 days, refuse and suggest another target.
• Sign off with the user's first name and one short identity line (e.g. "Adrien — building Karmable, a Reddit growth tool"). No tagline-style boast.