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/cs-inbox-setup

Slash Command Source

Command: /cs:inbox-setup

The cs-inbox-setup persona walks an 8-section interview to build your personalized email triage knowledge base in ${WORKSPACE}/Email/.

When to Run

  • First time setting up email triage
  • Business changes — new role, new offerings, new client mix
  • Pricing changes — your rate card needs refresh
  • Inbox shift — significantly different email volume or category mix

Do NOT run if your existing KB still represents reality. Re-running is expensive (~20 min interview). If only one preference needs updating, edit the KB file directly.

The Pair

This is one half of a pair:

  • /cs:inbox-setup (this command) — writes the KB (run once)
  • /cs:inbox-triage — reads + appends the KB (run recurringly)

Both share a strict 7-file contract. See kb_file_contract.md for the spec.

What You'll Get

After ~25-31 questions across 8 sections (about 15-20 min), the skill produces these files in ${WORKSPACE}/Email/:

File Always created? Content
email-taxonomy.md ✓ Categories + signals + default actions + report preferences
email-patterns.md ✓ Voice register + sign-offs + persona + hard rules + templates
evaluation-framework.md Only if user has opportunities Decision tree + TAKE-IT signals + PASS signals + VIP list
rate-card.md Only if user has pricing Standard pricing + terms + negotiation posture
blocklist.md ✓ (seeded) Auto-skip senders + decline patterns; grows over triage runs
tracker.md ✓ (seeded) Active follow-ups + overdue + deadlines
triage-log/ ✓ (empty dir) Per-run triage logs (populated by inbox-triage)

Grill-Me Discipline

  • One question per turn. Never bundle. Even across section boundaries.
  • Forcing format where possible. Multi-choice > open-ended for high-leverage decisions.
  • "Why I'm asking" on every question — so you can answer well.
  • Dependency-ordered. Q2 depends on Q1; downstream sections depend on upstream.
  • Commit per section. Each section writes its files at the end. If you drop off mid-interview, partial KB is still usable.
  • Skip-logic. Section 4 (Evaluation Framework) skipped entirely if Section 1 surfaced no opportunity-email category.
  • Privacy. Never persist passwords, account numbers, SSNs, credentials in KB files.
  • Re-run safe. Existing files surface per-file consent prompt: replace / merge / skip.

The 8 Sections

  1. The Big Picture — role, dominant inbox categories, volume split, addresses, run cadence, delegation (6 Q)
  2. Email Categories — propose taxonomy from S1, confirm, refine (3 Q) → writes email-taxonomy.md
  3. Reply Style & Voice — register, pet peeves, sign-offs, persona, length, hard rules + paste 3-5 real sent emails (7 Q + samples) → writes email-patterns.md
  4. Evaluation Framework (conditional) — gut filter, deal-breakers, attractors, pricing, negotiation, VIP list (6 Q) → writes evaluation-framework.md + rate-card.md
  5. Blocklist & Patterns — skip-senders, decline-patterns, time-wasters (3 Q) → writes blocklist.md
  6. Current State — active threads, overdue replies, deadlines (3 Q) → writes tracker.md + creates triage-log/
  7. Report Preferences — delivery format, detail level, top-of-report priorities (3 Q) → appends to email-taxonomy.md
  8. Confirmation & Handoff — file inventory + handoff message → directs you to /cs:inbox-triage

Stop condition: ~25-31 questions total (S4 skip drops ~6). Hard ceiling 35. Never re-open after S8 — re-run the skill to change preferences.

Trigger Phrases (auto-invoke without /cs:)

  • "set up my inbox"
  • "configure inbox triage"
  • "set up my email system"
  • "configure email triage"
  • "build my email knowledge base"
  • "initialize email management"
  • "set up inbox triage"
  • "onboard email triage"

Workflow

# 1. Detect workspace + check for existing KB
ls ${WORKSPACE}/Email/

# 2. If exists → re-run mode (per-file replace/merge/skip).
#    If fresh → start session:
python ../skills/inbox-setup/scripts/section_progress_tracker.py \
  --action start --session "inbox-setup-$(date +%Y%m%d)" --user "<who>"

# 3. Walk S1 → S2 → ... → S8 (one Q per turn).

# 4. At S3.SAMPLES, analyze pasted emails:
python ../skills/inbox-setup/scripts/voice_sample_analyzer.py --samples-file /tmp/samples.txt

# 5. At end of each section, write its file(s) + record:
python ../skills/inbox-setup/scripts/section_progress_tracker.py \
  --action record_section_done --session NAME --section N --files "..."

# 6. At S8, validate final state + close session:
python ../skills/inbox-setup/scripts/kb_validator.py --workspace ${WORKSPACE}
python ../skills/inbox-setup/scripts/section_progress_tracker.py --action close --session NAME

Stop Conditions

  • All 8 sections complete (or S4 skipped) → handoff message + done
  • User says "stop" mid-interview → save partial KB; flag in [needs follow-up]; offer to resume later
  • Workspace inaccessible → halt; tell user where files would go; ask for permission/path

Anti-Patterns Rejected

  • Generating all files at once instead of walking sections
  • Batching questions
  • Hardcoded provider references (Gmail-only thinking)
  • Persisting sensitive credentials in KB
  • Skipping the "why this question matters" explanation
  • Skipping the sample-emails ask in S3 (it's the highest-quality voice signal)
  • Overwriting existing files without consent on re-run
  • Forcing creation of rate-card.md or evaluation-framework.md when they don't apply

Version: 1.0.0 Source: Path-B direct conversion of megaprompts/06-inbox-setup-megaprompt.md