qualify

name	qualify
description	Assess how much a company needs you — flip the match lens. Use when: 'qualify opportunity', 'should I apply', 'is this worth my time', 'how much do they need me', 'qualify this company'.
argument-hint	[company name or path to job description]

/qualify — Strategic Opportunity Qualification

Purpose

Flip the /match lens. Instead of "do I meet their bar?", assess "how much do they need me?" Score the opportunity across 6 strategic dimensions to help decide where to invest your time and how to position yourself.

This is the "Sell me this pen" approach — uncover the buyer's needs before pitching.

Anti-Fabrication Rules (MANDATORY)

1. Scores are assessments, not claims — they represent judgment, not fact
2. Every score MUST cite what evidence drove it
3. Missing evidence = lower confidence, NOT a lower score — distinguish "I don't know" from "it's bad"
4. NEVER inflate scores to encourage applying — honesty serves the user
5. Cultural fit is inherently subjective — label it as such
6. If CompanyProfile data is thin, say so explicitly and recommend running /research with more sources

Process

Step 1 — Gather Inputs

• Check knowledge/sessions/{slug}/company.yaml for an existing CompanyProfile. If none exists, tell the user: "No company profile found. Run /research {company} first for a sharper qualification, or I can do a lightweight assessment from the JD alone."
• Read resume.yaml from the project root.
• Accept JD as file path or pasted text (optional but recommended).
• If a CompanyProfile exists, check its researched_at date. If older than 30 days, warn: "This profile was researched on {date}. Company data may be outdated. Consider re-running /research."

Step 2 — Run /match if Needed

If a JD is provided and no existing /match session exists for this company/role (check knowledge/sessions/{slug}/{role-slug}/*_match.yaml), run /match analysis. This provides the baseline skills-based fit data. /qualify layers the strategic assessment on top — they are complementary, not redundant.

Step 3 — Dimensional Scoring

Score each dimension 1-10. For each score, cite the specific evidence from CompanyProfile and resume.yaml that drove it. If evidence is insufficient, note it as "insufficient data" with a confidence qualifier.

1. Pain-Solution Match (weight: 25%)

Map CompanyProfile pain points against resume.yaml experience bullets.

• 1-3: Your experience doesn't address their core problems
• 4-6: Some overlap, but you'd be learning on the job
• 7-8: Direct experience with 1-2 of their key pain points
• 9-10: You've solved exactly this problem before, with metrics to prove it

Evidence format: "{pain point} ← {your bullet/experience that addresses it}"

2. Value Density (weight: 20%)

Of their total needs (from JD + pain points), what percentage can you uniquely address vs. any qualified candidate?

• 1-3: You meet minimum requirements, same as dozens of other candidates
• 4-6: You cover their needs plus have 1-2 differentiators
• 7-8: Your specific combination of skills is uncommon and highly relevant
• 9-10: You are one of very few people who can address their full problem space

Evidence format: "{unique combination} — rare because {reason}"

3. Growth Alignment (weight: 15%)

Compare CompanyProfile growth signals and tech stack trajectory against your recent experience trajectory.

• 1-3: They're heading in a direction you're moving away from
• 4-6: Neutral — no strong alignment or misalignment
• 7-8: Your growth trajectory matches their investment direction
• 9-10: You're already ahead of where they're trying to go

Evidence format: "They're investing in {X}, you've been deepening in {Y}"

4. Culture Fit (weight: 15%)

Compare CompanyProfile culture signals against what you want. This is bidirectional — do THEY fit YOU?

• 1-3: Clear misalignment on work style, values, or environment
• 4-6: No strong signals either way
• 7-8: Positive alignment on most dimensions
• 9-10: Strong match on the things that matter most to you

Evidence format: "Signal: {culture signal} — Alignment: {your preference}"

Note: If the user hasn't stated preferences, ask before scoring. Don't assume.

5. Leverage Position (weight: 15%)

Assess supply/demand dynamics. Are you entering from a position of strength or weakness?

• 1-3: They have many qualified candidates; you need them more than they need you
• 4-6: Balanced — standard competitive position
• 7-8: Your skill combination is in high demand at this company
• 9-10: They are urgently hiring for exactly your profile and the talent pool is thin

Evidence format: "Demand signal: {evidence}. Supply signal: {evidence}."

6. ROI Potential (weight: 10%)

Can you articulate specific, quantifiable value you'd deliver? Map your proven metrics to their pain points.

• 1-3: No direct mapping between your past metrics and their needs
• 4-6: Some transferable metrics, but context is different
• 7-8: Clear metric-to-pain-point mapping for 1-2 areas
• 9-10: You can say "I did exactly this at Company X, here are the numbers"

Evidence format: "Your metric: {metric} → Their pain: {pain point}"

Step 4 — Strategic Brief

Calculate weighted average. Then produce a strategic brief:

Strong Pursue (weighted avg >= 7.0):

• Positioning angle: what story to tell, leading with their pain
• Unique leverage points: what only you can offer
• Cover letter hook suggestion: which hook type and specific angle
• Interview talking points: discovery questions to ask them

Pursue with Caution (weighted avg 5.0-6.9):

• Worth applying, but here's what to watch for
• Where you're strong vs. where you'll need to compensate
• Questions to ask in the interview to validate fit
• What would need to be true for this to be a great role

Consider Passing (weighted avg < 5.0):

• Why this may not be worth your time
• What would need to change to make it viable
• Alternative: is there a different role at this company that fits better?

Step 5 — Log Session (MANDATORY — do not present results until this step is complete)

Save to knowledge/sessions/{company-slug}/{role-slug}/{date}_qualify.yaml:

date: YYYY-MM-DD
type: qualify
company: Company Name
slug: company-slug
role: Role Title
role_slug: role-slug
company_profile_used: true/false
match_session_used: session-filename or null
scores:
  pain_solution_match: { score: X, confidence: high/medium/low }
  value_density: { score: X, confidence: high/medium/low }
  growth_alignment: { score: X, confidence: high/medium/low }
  culture_fit: { score: X, confidence: high/medium/low }
  leverage_position: { score: X, confidence: high/medium/low }
  roi_potential: { score: X, confidence: high/medium/low }
  weighted_average: X.X
recommendation: strong-pursue    

Append to knowledge/sessions/{company-slug}/{role-slug}/summary.md (create with # {Company Name} — {Role Title} header if it doesn't exist):

---

## {date} qualify

**Weighted Average**: {X.X}/10 — {recommendation}
| Dimension | Score | Key rationale |
|-----------|-------|---------------|
| {dimension} | {X}/10 | {one-liner evidence or gap} |
| {dimension} | {X}/10 | {one-liner} |
| ... | ... | ... |
**Positioning**: {1-2 sentences — the angle that makes you compelling for THIS role}
**Key risk**: {the gap or concern most likely to derail, and how to mitigate}

When running multiple qualifications in sequence, log EACH run individually as you complete it. Do not batch logging or defer it until after presentation.

Output

Present the dimensional scores as a table, followed by the strategic brief — only after Step 5 (Log Session) is complete. Format:

## Qualification: {Company} — {Role}

| Dimension | Score | Confidence | Key Evidence |
|-----------|-------|------------|-------------|
| Pain-Solution Match (25%) | X/10 | high/med/low | one-liner |
| Value Density (20%) | X/10 | high/med/low | one-liner |
| Growth Alignment (15%) | X/10 | high/med/low | one-liner |
| Culture Fit (15%) | X/10 | high/med/low | one-liner |
| Leverage Position (15%) | X/10 | high/med/low | one-liner |
| ROI Potential (10%) | X/10 | high/med/low | one-liner |
| **Weighted Average** | **X.X/10** | | |

## Strategic Brief
{positioning angle, leverage points, or reasons to pass}

Options

• With company name: /qualify Acme Corp
• With JD: /qualify path/to/jd.txt
• Both: /qualify Acme Corp path/to/jd.txt