last72hours

name	last72hours
version	0.1.0
description	Run a 72-hour viral radar across Reddit, X, TikTok, Instagram, Hacker News, YouTube, and GitHub — then auto-build an editorial-scorecard leaderboard in Paper.design via its MCP server.
argument-hint	last72hours AI coding agents | last72hours nvidia earnings | last72hours <topic>
allowed-tools	Bash, Read, Write, AskUserQuestion, WebSearch
homepage	https://github.com/iharnoor/last72hours-skill
repository	https://github.com/iharnoor/last72hours-skill
author	iharnoor
license	MIT
user-invocable	true

/last72hours

A thin wrapper around /last30days that pins the time window to 72 hours, then renders the results as an editorial-scorecard leaderboard in Paper.design via the Paper MCP server.

When to invoke this skill

User typed /last72hours <topic> — they want both the scrape AND the visual leaderboard. If they only want the raw scrape, redirect to /last30days --days=3.

If no topic is provided, ask the user a single short question and wait. Do NOT run the engine until a topic is set.

---

Step 1 — Pre-flight

Run all checks in parallel:

1. Confirm the last30days engine is installed

   test -f "$HOME/.claude/skills/last30days/scripts/last30days.py" && echo OK || echo "MISSING"
   

   If missing: tell the user to install /last30days first (link to https://github.com/mvanhorn/last30days-skill) and stop.

2. Check .env — look in this order, source the first one found:

   • $LAST72_ENV (if set)
   • $PWD/.env
   • ~/.config/last72hours/.env

   The keys this skill cares about: SCRAPECREATORS_API_KEY (IG/TikTok, paid), AUTH_TOKEN + CT0 (X, free), or XAI_API_KEY (X, paid). Reddit/HN/GitHub/YouTube/Polymarket are free.

   Never echo key values to the user. Mask with sed -E 's/(=).*$/\1***SET***/' when listing.

3. Probe Paper MCP

   curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'Accept: application/json, text/event-stream' \
     -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2024-11-05","capabilities":{},"clientInfo":{"name":"cc","version":"1.0"}}}' \
     http://127.0.0.1:29979/mcp
   

   • HTTP 200 with body containing paper-desktop → Paper is up
   • Any other response → Paper Desktop isn't running (or has no document open). Tell the user, then ask if they want to (a) start Paper and continue, or (b) skip the viz step and just output the raw Markdown. Do not block on this — fall through gracefully.

---

Step 2 — Run the engine

Set LAST72_OUTPUT_DIR (default: $HOME/Documents/Last72Hours). Make sure the dir exists.

set -a; source "$LAST72_ENV_FILE"; set +a
mkdir -p "$LAST72_OUTPUT_DIR"

python3 "$HOME/.claude/skills/last30days/scripts/last30days.py" "<TOPIC>" \
  --emit=compact \
  --days 3 \
  --save-dir="$LAST72_OUTPUT_DIR" \
  --save-suffix=72h \
  --plan "$(cat /tmp/last72_plan.json)"

You (the model) generate /tmp/last72_plan.json first with 2–4 subqueries matching the topic. The primary subquery MUST include sources [reddit, x, hackernews, youtube, tiktok, instagram, polymarket]. Set freshness_mode: "strict_recent".

For person/product topics, also resolve and pass:

• --subreddits= 3–5 brand-specific + category-peer subs (see last30days Step 0.55 category table)
• --x-handle= primary handle
• --tiktok-hashtags=, --ig-creators=, --github-user= / --github-repo= when applicable

Use a 300-second timeout on the Bash call. Read the entire output — it contains 7 source sections.

---

Step 3 — Paper.design leaderboard

If Paper MCP probe in Step 1 failed, skip this step entirely. Print the raw-output path and stop.

If Paper MCP is up, follow this build order. All calls go through JSON-RPC at http://127.0.0.1:29979/mcp. Get a session ID from initialize, pass it as mcp-session-id on every subsequent call.

Design brief (post to user BEFORE first mutation)

Mood: editorial / saturated (pure white × cobalt). First instinct was terminal/phosphor; editorial reads more authoritative for ranked content.
Palette: #FFFFFF ground · #0A0A0A ink · #0029FF cobalt accent · #6B6B6B mute · #E5E5E5 hairline.
Type: Archivo Black (display 96–288px), Inter Tight (body 13–18px), Paper Mono (numerics).
Direction: oversized "72H" mark; cobalt thesis bar; hero card for #1; 3-column grid for #2–#6; 2×2 narrative-cluster lozenges; source-coverage footer; clickable links appendix.

Build order (one visual group per write_html call)

1. create_artboard — 1600 × fit-content, padding:96px, gap:80px, flex column, name "AI Agent Radar — 72h" (or "<Topic> Radar — 72h")
2. write_html header: small cobalt dot + eyebrow caps + "72H" 288px display + right-aligned date / source counts
3. write_html cobalt thesis bar: 8px cobalt strip + "The week in one line" eyebrow + 48px headline that captures the dominant narrative
4. write_html section divider: "Top viral · by engagement" + "Ranked 01 → 06"
5. write_html hero card #1 (wide, asymmetric): big rank, platform dot, big headline, snippet, 3 stats columns, attribution
6. write_html 3-column grid of cards #2–#6: same shape as hero but smaller, share consistent top-border
7. write_html section divider: "Narrative Clusters" + "Four threads · cross-platform"
8. write_html 2×2 cluster grid (#F7F7F5 background panels): cluster letter, count, headline, body, source chips
9. write_html source-coverage footer: per-source mini-stats (Reddit/X/TikTok/IG/HN/GitHub) with platform dots
10. write_html "Links · go look" appendix: 3 grouped lists (top viral / cluster A / cluster D) with <a href> URLs in cobalt
11. finish_working_on_nodes on the artboard ID
12. export type:"image", format:"png", scale:"2x", save the returned path to $LAST72_OUTPUT_DIR/<topic-slug>-72h-radar.png

Screenshot reviews

After step 5, step 8, and step 10: get_screenshot and quickly self-review for spacing, alignment, contrast. Fix issues with update_styles (don't delete + rewrite). If the artboard clips, set height: "fit-content".

Platform color dots (8px, used sparingly)

• X: #000000 · Reddit: #FF4500 · HN: #FF6600 · IG: #E1306C · TikTok: #25F4EE · GitHub: #181717

Never fill whole cards with platform color. The viz must read as one editorial piece, not six brand silos.

---

Step 4 — Self-contained HTML mirror (always emit)

Write a standalone HTML file to $LAST72_OUTPUT_DIR/<topic-slug>-72h-radar.html that mirrors the Paper artboard 1:1 — same sections, same data, same editorial register, but with every source as a clickable <a href>. This is the artifact users actually share (PNGs don't have working links once exported).

This step runs even when Paper MCP is down. It's the universal output; Paper is the bonus.

Structural template

Use examples/ai-coding-agents-72h-radar.html from this repo as the canonical structure. The shape must match exactly:

1. <head> — Google Fonts preconnect + Archivo Black + Inter Tight + JetBrains Mono (substitute for Paper Mono since that font is Paper-app-only)
2. Inline <style> with CSS variables for --ink #0A0A0A, --mute #6B6B6B, --hair #E5E5E5, --panel #F7F7F5, --cobalt #0029FF, and platform colors --x --reddit --hn --ig --tiktok --github
3. <main class="wrap"> container — 1408px max-width, 96px padding, 80px gap, flex column
4. Body sections in order, matching the Paper build:
   • <header> — eyebrow + 72H display mark + meta block
   • <section class="thesis"> — cobalt strip + thesis headline
   • <div class="section-head"> "Top Viral · by Engagement"
   • <article class="hero"> #1 card
   • <section class="grid"> cards #2–#6
   • <div class="section-head"> "Narrative Clusters"
   • <section class="clusters"> 2×2 cluster lozenges with chip-style source links
   • <footer> source coverage grid
   • <section class="links"> "Links · go look" appendix — three grouped lists of clickable URLs
5. @media (max-width: 1100px) and (max-width: 640px) breakpoints so it reads on phone

Link policy

• Every @handle, every r/sub, every publication, every cluster chip: wrap as <a href="…">
• In the cluster section, use <a class="chip"> styling — minimal underline only on hover
• In the links appendix, the URL itself is the link text (in cobalt JetBrains Mono)
• Headline text in cards is NOT a link — only attribution / source chips / appendix URLs are

Meta tags

<title>{TOPIC} — 72h Viral Radar · /last72hours</title>
<meta name="description" content="What people are saying about {TOPIC} in the last 72 hours — Reddit, X, TikTok, Instagram, Hacker News, GitHub." />
<meta name="generator" content="/last72hours · https://github.com/iharnoor/last72hours-skill" />

When Paper MCP is also up

Build the Paper canvas first (Step 3), then write the HTML mirror in Step 4. The HTML and the Paper artboard should be visually equivalent — same content, same hierarchy. The two outputs serve different audiences: PNG is for screenshots/decks, HTML is for sharing in Slack/email/DMs where the links matter.

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Step 5 — Wrap up

End your response with:

• Path to the raw Markdown scrape
• Path to the HTML mirror (always)
• Path to the exported PNG (if Paper MCP was up)
• 3–5 bullet Top viral signals summary with engagement numbers
• 3–4 Narrative clusters one-liners

Do NOT trail with a Sources: block — the HTML's Links appendix, the Paper artboard's appendix, and the engine footer in the raw .md are the citation.

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Secret hygiene

• Never echo, log, or commit .env values.
• When showing the user what's configured, always mask: sed -E 's/(=).*$/\1***SET***/' .env.
• If you see a key string that looks like a leaked credential in any tool output, redact it before quoting.

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Credits

Wraps /last30days by Matt Van Horn. Editorial-scorecard layout authored 2026-05-11.