| name | proposal-pipeline |
| description | Generate tailored Upwork proposals from job postings. 6-phase pipeline.
Triggers: "write proposal", "proposal for", "upwork proposal", "generate proposal".
|
| user-invocable | true |
Proposal Pipeline
MANDATORY: Follow all 6 phases in order. No draft before Phase 5. No delivery before Phase 6 passes.
This skill uses its own rules, not the social media rules in .claude/rules/. Proposals are private 1-to-1 communication, not public content. The content pipeline rules (opening under 10 words, specific numbers from source code, depth requirements, no org names in proof URLs) do not apply here.
Phase 1: Job Intake
Parse the pasted job posting. Extract and present:
- Job title / role
- Client's core problem (what they actually need solved)
- Technical requirements (languages, frameworks, integrations)
- Non-technical requirements (timeline, budget, team size, process)
- Budget (if stated)
- Timeline (if stated)
- Key phrases to mirror (exact words from the posting to echo back in the proposal)
Pillar Detection
Match job keywords to determine which pillar to use:
| Job Keywords | Pillar | Voice |
|---|
| polymarket, kalshi, prediction market, trading bot, market making, DeFi, crypto trading | Polymaxr | Data-driven, precise, crypto-native. Numbers over narratives. Risk-aware and honest. |
| AI agent, Claude, chatbot, automation, LLM, RAG, OpenAI, prompt engineering, openclaw, moltbot | AIIn60 | Professional but approachable. Educational, not salesy. Practical and action-oriented. |
| Mixed (both categories) | Lead with the dominant pillar, mention the other | Blend both voices |
| Neither (general dev work) | Default to AIIn60 | Professional, practical |
Present the structured brief and pillar assignment. Get user confirmation before proceeding.
Phase 2: Client Assessment
Evaluate the client using signals visible in the posting text. Read knowledge/client-signals.md for the full guide.
Check for:
- Green flags: Clear budget, defined problem, technical understanding, production intent
- Red flags: Vague requirements, "easy/simple" language, no budget, unrealistic timeline
- Deal breakers: Illegal projects, demands free work, disrespectful tone, crypto scams
Assign priority:
| Priority | Criteria |
|---|
| HIGH | Clear scope + verified payment + budget > $5K + our niche |
| MEDIUM | Good client + decent budget + close to our niche |
| LOW | Unclear scope OR budget concerns OR outside expertise |
| SKIP | Red flags OR deal breakers OR < $1.5K budget |
If SKIP: explain why and stop. Don't write proposals for bad-fit jobs.
Present assessment to user. Proceed on approval.
Phase 3: Experience Mapping
Read knowledge/portfolio.md and knowledge/proof-assets.md.
- Select lead project (Pattern 2): The single most relevant past project. Pick the one whose tech stack and problem domain overlap most with the job requirements.
- Select proof assets (Pattern 3): 2-4 most relevant proof links. Don't dump all links. Choose ones that directly demonstrate capability for this specific job.
- Identify current relevance (Pattern 4): What are you currently building or running that relates to this job? Frame in present tense.
- Check pricing (read
knowledge/pricing.md): What's the appropriate rate/package for this job's scope?
Present the mapping to user:
- Lead project: [name] because [reason]
- Proof assets: [2-4 URLs] because [reason each]
- Current relevance angle: [what to say]
- Suggested pricing: [range or rate]
Get approval before designing the proposal.
Phase 4: Proposal Design
Select a copywriting framework based on the job type:
| Job Type | Framework | Why |
|---|
| Client has a clear pain point | PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solution) | Lead with their pain, show you understand it, present your fix |
| Client wants a transformation | BAB (Before, After, Bridge) | Show where they are, where they could be, how you get them there |
| Default / mixed | AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) | Hook them, build interest with proof, create desire, close with CTA |
Outline all 7 Winning Patterns with specific planned content:
- Opening Hook: What credibility claim? What connection to their specific problem?
- Lead Portfolio Project: Which project? What technical specifics to highlight?
- Live Proof: Which 2-4 URLs?
- Current Relevance: What present-tense activity to mention?
- Scope / Approach: What 3-6 deliverables? (Mirror their language)
- CTA with Timeline: What specific deliverable and timeframe?
- Voice: Which pillar voice? Any special tone considerations?
Present the outline. Do NOT draft until the user approves the design.
Phase 5: Proposal Draft
Write the proposal following the approved design from Phase 4.
The 7 Winning Patterns (follow in order)
Pattern 1: Opening Hook
Open with an immediate credibility claim tied to the client's specific problem. Not a generic intro.
- Bad: "Hi, I'm a developer with experience in many things."
- Good: "Hi, I am a [specific role] with [specific proof] currently [specific activity relevant to their job]."
Pattern 2: Lead Portfolio Project
Present the single most relevant past project. Include technical specifics that mirror what the client needs. Name the project, describe what it does, highlight the overlap with their requirements.
Pattern 3: Live Proof
Include at least 2 proof links. Non-negotiable. Pick the most relevant from the approved list. Use raw URLs only.
Pattern 4: Current Relevance
Show this is daily work, not a one-off. Use present tense: "I am currently building...", "I am actively running...", "I operate this daily..."
Pattern 5: Scope / Approach
Show you understand THEIR specific problem. Outline 3-6 concrete deliverables using unicode bullets. Mirror the client's language and requirements from their job posting.
Pattern 6: CTA with Timeline
Close with a specific deliverable and timeframe. Not vague.
- Bad: "Happy to discuss further."
- Good: "I can have your [specific deliverable] live within [X days]."
Pattern 7: Voice
First person ("I am", "I have", "I will"). Confident but not arrogant. No filler words. No buzzwords. Sign off as "Best regards, Sami".
Format Rules
Apply these WHILE drafting, not after:
- Max 280 words. Every sentence must earn its place.
- Plain text only. No markdown. Upwork doesn't render it.
- No bold/italic. No
**bold**, *italic*, __underline__.
- No markdown links. Raw URLs only (e.g., https://example.com).
- Unicode bullets. Use
• instead of - or *.
- No em dashes. Use commas, periods, or restructure the sentence.
- Line breaks for readability. Use spacing to create visual structure.
- Sign off: "Sami" or "Best regards, Sami".
Content Rules
- Write as Sami. First person. "I am", "I have", "I will".
- Never mention being AI or that this was generated.
- Personalize for EVERY job. No two proposals should be identical.
- Never use full channel names (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord). Use TG, WA, or describe the capability without naming the channel.
- Polymarket has no testnet. Never reference "testnet" or "paper trading on Polymarket". Say "backtesting against historical data" or "dry-run mode with simulated orders".
- No AI vocabulary: Additionally, Furthermore, landscape, tapestry, testament, pivotal, showcase, delve, foster, robust, comprehensive, seamless, cutting-edge, harness, realm, paradigm, holistic, synergy, leverage, utilize.
- Org names don't appear in proposal body text (use "I" and "my team"). Proof asset URLs containing org domains are fine since they're evidence.
Phase 6: Review & Delivery
Dispatch the proposal-reviewer agent.
The reviewer checks:
- Format compliance (any fail = rejected): word count, plain text, unicode bullets, no em dashes, no markdown, sign-off present
- Pattern compliance (all 7 patterns present, none below 6/10 quality)
- Persuasion score (weighted criteria, threshold: 70/100)
If verdict is NEEDS WORK:
- Fix all Critical findings
- Address Improvement findings
- Re-submit to reviewer
- Max 3 iterations. If still stuck, present best version with remaining issues flagged.
If verdict is APPROVED, deliver:
=== Proposal (Ready to Paste) ===
[plain text proposal]
=== Metadata ===
Pillar: [AIIn60 | Polymaxr]
Word count: [N]/280
Proof assets: [URLs used]
Priority: [HIGH | MEDIUM | LOW]
Rules
- NEVER skip Phase 2 (Client Assessment). Bad-fit jobs waste time.
- NEVER skip Phase 3 (Experience Mapping). Generic proposals lose.
- NEVER draft before Phase 5. Design first.
- NEVER deliver before Phase 6 passes. Review is mandatory.
- If the user changes the angle mid-pipeline, restart from Phase 4 (Proposal Design).
- One proposal per pipeline run. Don't batch.
- If proof assets return 404, flag to the user and suggest updating
knowledge/proof-assets.md.
