dm-opener

---
name: dm-opener
description: Drafts short first DMs to people who followed, commented or saved, each anchored to something they published. Use for openers that get replies, not blocks.
---

# Turn a follower into a conversation without being creepy

One short opening DM per person, built on something they published in public, plus a list of who not to message.

## Claude does

1. **Read the voice layer first.** If `about-me.md` and `voice.md` exist here, read them and ask only for what is missing. Both leading skill repos converged on this context file; it separates an opener from template spam.
2. **Ask for three inputs only:** who you are in one sentence; the people who engaged (name, handle, platform, what they did); what a good outcome is. Refuse to guess it. An opener with no goal reads as a bot.
3. **Score before writing**, using the cold-email skill's qualification step: commented in a full sentence > saved or shared > story reply > plain follow. A plain follow with no public posts goes on a **do not message** list, said out loud.
4. **Find the reference.** Name the public thing you will cite: a post, their comment, a bio line. No reference, no message. Never "loved your recent post".
5. **Write to the structure:** reference line (under 40 characters), one line of specific value, one question. **Under 400 characters total. No link, no pitch, no calendar in message one.** Questions are the measured lever: Instagram question CTAs raised comments 36.70%, comment CTAs 202.78% (Metricool, 24.36M posts).
6. **One follow-up only**, seven days later, and only if they replied.
7. **Refuse to guess** their job title, revenue, problem, or anything off their profile.

## Then Codex does

Codex expands the approved structure into per-person drafts, counts characters, strips links and flags empty references. Repetition across dozens of rows, not judgement.

Fill in `{ABOUT_ME}`, `{OUTCOME}`, `{APPROVED_TEMPLATE}` and `{PEOPLE_CSV}` inside CODEX.md, then run:

```
codex exec --sandbox danger-full-access --skip-git-repo-check -C "<working folder>" - < CODEX.md
```

## Claude checks

1. Every draft under 400 characters, no link.
2. Every draft names a **real** public reference. Reject generic ones ("your content", "your page"). Popular repos circulate precise-sounding claims with no source; that same instinct invents compliments here.
3. Nobody on the do-not-message list has a draft.
4. No two drafts share an opening sentence.
5. Every message says whose name it is sent in.
6. If a check fails, rerun Codex naming the failing rows. Never hand-patch and call it verified.

## Rules

- Public information only.
- Never invent a fact, a number or a quote. That includes a compliment about a post you have not read.
- Anything sent in someone's name says whose name it is.
- No link, no pitch, no calendar in the first message.
- One follow-up maximum, and only after they reply.
- A plain follow with no public posts is no reason to message anyone.

## If Codex is not installed

Claude writes the drafts itself in the same structure and says so.

## Built from

- coreyhaines31/marketingskills, cold-email qualification. https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills - 46,945 stars, api.github.com.
- charlie947/social-media-skills, the voice.md layer. https://github.com/charlie947/social-media-skills - 3,283 stars, api.github.com.
- Metricool 2026 Instagram Study, the CTA figures. https://metricool.com/press-release-instagram-study-2026/ - 24,364,803 posts.
- Buffer, State of Social Media Engagement 2026, replying +30% LinkedIn. https://buffer.com/resources/state-of-social-media-engagement-2026/ - 52M+ posts.

# Turn a follower into a conversation without being creepy - Codex task

You are drafting first-contact direct messages for social media. Nothing has been written yet. Work only from what is below.

## You are given

- `{ABOUT_ME}` - one sentence saying who the sender is and what they do. Every message is sent in this person's name.
- `{OUTCOME}` - what a good result is: a reply, a call, or a collaboration. Message one aims only at the reply.
- `{APPROVED_TEMPLATE}` - the three-part structure already signed off: reference line, one line of specific value or observation, one question.
- `{PEOPLE_CSV}` - one row per person, columns: `name, handle, platform, signal, public_reference`. `signal` is one of: commented, saved, shared, story_reply, follow. `public_reference` is the exact public thing they published.

## Produce

Write `drafts.csv` in the working folder, one row per person, columns:

`name, handle, platform, signal, tier, char_count, draft, flag`

- `tier`: A if signal is `commented`, B if `saved` or `shared`, C if `story_reply`, D if `follow`.
- `draft`: the message, following `{APPROVED_TEMPLATE}` exactly. Under 400 characters including spaces. Three sentences maximum. Ends with one question.
- `char_count`: the real counted length of `draft`.
- `flag`: `OK`, or `NO_REFERENCE` if `public_reference` is empty or generic ("your content", "your page", "your posts"), or `TIER_D_NO_REFERENCE` if tier is D and `public_reference` is empty.

Rows flagged `NO_REFERENCE` or `TIER_D_NO_REFERENCE` get an empty `draft` field. Do not write a message for them.

Also write `do-not-message.csv` listing every flagged row with the reason.

## Rules

- Use only the text in `public_reference`. Do not search, infer, or embellish it.
- Never invent a compliment, a statistic, a job title, a company size or a problem the person has.
- No links. No pricing. No calendar or booking mention. No attachment.
- No two drafts may share the same opening sentence. Vary the reference line per row.
- Every draft must make clear it comes from `{ABOUT_ME}`.
- Reference line under 40 characters.
- British English. No em dash characters.
- If `{PEOPLE_CSV}` is empty or malformed, write nothing and say so.

## Return

Print to stdout:

1. Total rows processed.
2. Count of `OK`, `NO_REFERENCE` and `TIER_D_NO_REFERENCE` rows.
3. The longest `char_count` produced, and confirmation it is under 400.
4. Count of duplicate opening sentences found (must be 0).
5. The first three `OK` drafts in full, so they can be read and checked.
6. The full contents of `do-not-message.csv`.