octavehq/brief

/octave:brief - Account Dossier & Call Prep Builder

Build beautiful, self-contained HTML account briefs powered by your Octave GTM intelligence. Designed to sit on your second monitor during a call or to review before a meeting. Unlike plain-text research, briefs render as scannable, styled reference documents with sticky navigation, collapsible sections, and print-friendly layout — grounded in real enrichment data, Motion ICP narrative, proof points, and conversation intel.

This is an internal document for the sales team, not customer-facing collateral.

Key differentiators:

• vs /octave:research — research outputs plain text; brief renders it as a styled, scannable HTML document
• vs /octave:one-pager — one-pager is customer-facing; brief is internal prep
• vs /octave:deck — deck is a slide presentation; brief is a scrollable reference document

On-brand styling — use a brand kit if one exists

Before generating, decide whose brand this brief should match (usually the target company; sometimes your own company). Then:

1. Resolve the company to a <slug> and check for a cached brand kit at ~/.octave/brands/<slug>/manifest.json.
2. If a kit exists → offer it: "I found a saved brand kit for <Company> — want this brief rendered in their brand?" If yes, style the output with the kit instead of a generic preset:
   • inline the kit's tokens.css (:root + the embedded @font-face) and get-brand-components/assets/kit_base.css into the output <style>;
   • follow brand-kit.md → Signature moves, and reuse the kit's real logo, images/, and icons.json;
   • for doc-shaped output you can compose directly with get-brand-components/scripts/render_kit.py (hero / split / logos / pricing / cta / footer blocks).
3. If no kit exists → offer to build one first: "No brand kit for <Company> yet — want me to capture it (~1 min) so this is on-brand?" → run /octave:get-brand-components <domain>, then proceed.
4. If the user declines → generate with the default style/preset.

The brand kit is the strongest styling signal — when one is available, prefer it over generic --style presets. See the get-brand-components skill for the kit format, token contract, and renderer.

Optional review pass

After generating the asset, offer an optional review (don't force it): "Want me to run a quick review pass over this — layout, brand, narrative, groundedness, and AI-slop?" If yes, follow get-brand-components/references/asset-review.md: render/screenshot the output, inspect it across the five dimensions (render the pixels and actually look — overflow and white-on-white only show in the render), report a short scorecard of specific located findings, then fix and re-verify. Skip silently if the user declines.

Usage

/octave:brief <target> [--for <occasion>] [--style <preset>]

Examples

/octave:brief acme.com                                # Full account dossier
/octave:brief [email protected] --for discovery           # Discovery call prep
/octave:brief acme.com --for demo                     # Demo prep brief
/octave:brief acme.com --for qbr                      # QBR prep brief
/octave:brief [email protected] --for follow-up           # Follow-up with prior call context
/octave:brief acme.com --for executive                # Executive meeting prep
/octave:brief "meeting with VP Sales at Acme"         # Context-based brief
/octave:brief acme.com --style paper-minimal          # Specific style preset

Occasions

| Occasion | Output Focus | |----------|--------------| | discovery | Company snapshot, ICP fit, discovery questions, Motion ICP narrative, qualification checklist | | demo | Stakeholder cards, value props, proof points, competitive landmines, demo flow | | follow-up | Recent signals from calls, deal timeline, open items, next steps | | qbr | Deal timeline, recent signals, proof points, value delivered, renewal/expansion angles | | executive | Concise company snapshot, key stakeholders, strategic value props, board-level talking points | | deal-review | Full pipeline context, stage history, competitive landscape, risk assessment | | general | Comprehensive account dossier with all sections (default) |

Instructions

When the user runs /octave:brief:

Step 1: Understand the Context

Identify the target:

• Email address -> Person-targeted brief (enrich person + company)
• Domain -> Company-targeted brief (enrich company + find key contacts)
• LinkedIn URL -> Person-targeted brief
• Meeting description -> Extract company/people from context

Detect or ask occasion:

If --for not specified, infer from context or ask:

What are you preparing for?

1. Discovery call — First conversation, qualifying the opportunity
2. Demo — Showing the product, proving value
3. Follow-up — Continuing a conversation, advancing the deal
4. QBR — Quarterly business review with existing customer
5. Executive meeting — High-level strategic conversation
6. Deal review — Internal review of opportunity status
7. General dossier — Comprehensive account reference

Your choice:

Each occasion changes which sections are emphasized and which are de-emphasized or omitted. See the section emphasis table in Step 4.

Step 2: Octave Context Gathering

Based on the target and occasion, use Octave MCP tools to build a complete intelligence picture. Tell the user what you're researching and why.

Call as many tools as needed to build a thorough brief. The best briefs layer multiple sources — company enrichment + person enrichment + Motion ICP narrative + proof points + conversation intel all combine to create a document grounded in real data. Don't stop at one tool when several would give you a stronger brief.

Not every tool applies to every brief. Use your judgment about which are relevant to this specific situation. The tables below show what's available — pick the combination that gives you the richest context for the occasion and target.

List vs Search — when to use which:

| Tool | Purpose | Use when... | |------|---------|-------------| | list_all_entities({ entityType }) | Fetch all entities of a type (minimal fields) | You want a quick inventory — "show me all our competitors" | | list_entities({ entityType }) | Fetch entities with full data (paginated) | You need the actual content — "get full proof point details" | | get_entity({ oId }) | Deep dive on one specific entity | You found something relevant and need the complete picture | | search_knowledge_base({ query }) | Semantic search across library + resources | You have a concept or question — "how do we position for healthcare?" | | list_resources() / search_resources({ query }) | Uploaded docs, URLs, Google Drive files | You need reference material, uploaded assets, or source docs |

Rule of thumb: Use list_* when you know what type of thing you want. Use search_* when you know what topic you're looking for.

Follow-up briefs — ground them in what actually happened:

If this brief follows a previous interaction with the account (follow-up, QBR, deal review), pull findings and events to anchor the brief in real data rather than generic positioning:

• list_findings({ query: "<company or contact>", startDate: "<relevant period>" }) — surfaces what was actually said in calls: objections raised, features requested, pain points confirmed, competitor mentions
• list_events({ filters: { accounts: ["<account_oId>"] } }) — deal stage changes, meetings held, emails sent — shows the journey so far
• get_event_detail({ eventOId }) — deep dive on specific events (e.g., the discovery call, the demo) to pull exact context

This turns a generic "here's what we know" brief into "here's what happened and what to do about it" — much more useful walking into the next conversation.

---

For Person-Targeted Briefs

Start with person and company enrichment, then pull positioning context:

| What you need | Tool | When to use | |---------------|------|-------------| | Person deep-dive | enrich_person({ person: { email, firstName, lastName, companyDomain } }) | Always for person-targeted briefs — gives background, role, priorities | | Company profile | enrich_company({ companyDomain }) | Always — gives industry, size, tech stack, signals | | ICP fit (person) | qualify_person({ person: { ... } }) | When you need persona match and fit assessment | | ICP fit (company) | qualify_company({ companyDomain }) | When you need segment match and ICP scoring | | Additional contacts | find_person({ searchMode: "people", companyDomain, fuzzyTitles }) | When you want to map the broader buying committee | | Find Motion | list_motions() | List all Motions to find the relevant offering + motion type | | Persona × segment matrix | list_motion_icps({ motionOId }) | See the persona × segment cells available under a Motion | | Motion ICP narrative | find_motion_icp({ motionIcpOId, includeLearnings: true }) | Pull the full Target ICP overview, Strategic narrative, Pains and consequences, Benefits and impacts, Methodology, References, and Learning Loop learnings for the target persona × segment | | Proof points | list_entities({ entityType: "proof_point" }) | Fetch all proof points with full data — metrics, quotes, logos | | References | list_entities({ entityType: "reference" }) | Customer references with full details | | Competitive context | search_knowledge_base({ query: "<signals>", entityTypes: ["competitor"] }) | When competitor is mentioned or likely in the deal | | Recent intel | list_findings({ query: "<company or person>", startDate: "<90 days ago>" }) | Conversation-based insights from past interactions | | Deal history | list_events({ filters: { accounts: ["<account_oId>"] } }) | Timeline of deal events | | Synthesized prep | generate_call_prep({ companyDomain }) | Quick comprehensive brief to use as a starting point |

---

For Company-Targeted Briefs

Start with company enrichment and contact discovery:

| What you need | Tool | When to use | |---------------|------|-------------| | Company profile | enrich_company({ companyDomain }) | Always — gives industry, size, tech stack, funding, signals | | ICP fit scoring | qualify_company({ companyDomain }) | Always — segment match, fit score, fit reasons | | Key contacts | find_person({ searchMode: "people", companyDomain, fuzzyTitles }) | Find stakeholders to populate the Stakeholders section | | Enrich contacts | enrich_person({ person: { ... } }) | Deep dive on each key contact found | | All Motions | list_motions() | Quick scan to find the right Motion (offering + motion type) | | Motion ICP matrix | list_motion_icps({ motionOId }) | See the persona × segment matrix under a Motion | | Motion ICP narrative | find_motion_icp({ motionIcpOId, includeLearnings: true }) | Full Target ICP overview, Strategic narrative, Pains and consequences, Benefits and impacts, Methodology, References, plus Learning Loop learnings for the target cell | | Custom Motion Playbook details | get_motion_playbook({ motionPlaybookOId }) | When a Custom Motion Playbook (Thematic / Milestone / Account / Competitive) layers on the relevant Motion | | All competitors | list_all_entities({ entityType: "competitor" }) | Quick scan of competitive landscape | | Competitor details | get_entity({ oId }) | Deep dive on a specific relevant competitor | | Proof points | list_entities({ entityType: "proof_point" }) | Full proof points for the evidence section | | References | list_entities({ entityType: "reference" }) | Customer references for social proof | | Topic search | search_knowledge_base({ query: "<industry> <use case>", entityTypes: ["proof_point", "reference"] }) | Find proof points relevant to their specific situation | | Recent intel | list_findings({ query: "<company>", startDate: "<90 days ago>" }) | Conversation signals from calls and meetings | | Deal events | list_events({ filters: { accounts: ["<account_oId>"] } }) | Full deal history and timeline | | Event details | get_event_detail({ eventOId }) | Deep dive on specific past interactions | | Uploaded resources | search_resources({ query: "<company or industry>" }) | Relevant uploaded docs and assets |

---

Output of this step: Present a content outline to the user for approval before generating:

BRIEF OUTLINE: [Company/Person] — [Occasion]
=============================================

Target: [Company name / Person name at Company]
Occasion: [Discovery / Demo / Follow-up / QBR / Executive / General]
Style: [Will be selected in Step 3]

---

SECTIONS TO INCLUDE
-------------------

1. Header — "Account Brief: [Company]" + date + occasion badge
2. Company Snapshot — industry, size, HQ, funding, tech stack, signals
3. ICP Fit — fit score, matched segment, key fit reasons
4. Key Stakeholders — [N] contacts with persona matches
5. Recommended Playbook — [Playbook name], strategic angle
6. Talking Points — [occasion-specific: questions / demo flow / next steps]
7. Value Props — [N] value props tailored to this account
8. Competitive Landscape — [Competitor names if detected]
9. Proof Points — [N] relevant case studies and metrics
10. Recent Signals — [N] findings from conversations
11. Deal Timeline — [if existing deal]
12. Quick Reference — cheat sheet with key facts

Octave Sources Used:
• Company enrichment: [Company] — [key insights]
• Person enrichment: [Person] — [persona match]
• Playbook: [Playbook name] — [strategic angle]
• Proof points: [N] references pulled
• Findings: [N] recent signals
• Competitive: [If applicable]

---

Does this look good? I can:
1. Proceed to style selection and generation
2. Add or remove sections
3. Go deeper on any area
4. Change the occasion / emphasis

Wait for user approval before proceeding.

Step 3: Style Selection

The brief uses the same CSS variable / style preset system as /octave:deck. Full preset definitions are in the deck skill's style-presets.md.

Briefs default to readability-optimized presets. If --style was not provided, ask:

Pick a style for your brief:

1. midnight-pro     — Dark navy, white text, blue accents (default for briefs)
2. paper-minimal    — Off-white, black type, editorial simplicity
3. executive-dark   — Charcoal + gold, premium boardroom aesthetic
4. soft-light       — Warm white + sage green, calm and approachable
5. swiss-modern     — White + red accent, Bauhaus minimal
6. Use my brand     — Extract from website or provide colors
7. Match my deck    — Use the same style as an existing /octave:deck

Your choice (or press Enter for midnight-pro):

| Occasion | Recommended Default | |----------|-------------------| | Discovery | midnight-pro | | Demo | midnight-pro | | Follow-up | paper-minimal | | QBR | executive-dark | | Executive | executive-dark | | Deal review | paper-minimal | | General | midnight-pro |

If the user selects "Use my brand," follow the brand discovery flow from the deck skill (website extraction via browser-use or WebFetch, manual fallback). If they select "Match my deck," ask for the deck file path and extract its CSS variables.

Step 4: Generate HTML

Build a single self-contained HTML file. The brief is a scrollable reference document — not a slide deck. Natural page scroll, sticky sidebar navigation, collapsible sections, and a print-friendly layout.

Output Directory

.octave-briefs/
└── <kebab-case-name>-<YYYY-MM-DD>/
    └── <name>.html

Example: /octave:brief acme.com --for discovery -> .octave-briefs/acme-discovery-2026-02-11/acme-discovery.html

The .octave-briefs/ directory should be in .gitignore.

Document Sections (Full Dossier)

Not all sections appear in every brief. The occasion determines emphasis:

| Occasion | Emphasized Sections | De-emphasized / Omitted | |----------|-------------------|-------------------------| | Discovery | Company Snapshot, ICP Fit, Talking Points (questions), Playbook, Qualification | Deal Timeline, Competitive | | Demo | Stakeholders, Value Props, Proof Points, Competitive, Demo Flow | ICP Fit detail | | Follow-up | Recent Signals, Deal Timeline, Talking Points (next steps), Open Items | Company Snapshot (condensed) | | QBR | Deal Timeline, Recent Signals, Proof Points, Value Delivered | ICP Fit, Playbook | | Executive | Company Snapshot (concise), Key Stakeholders, Value Props, Strategic Angles | Technical details, granular signals | | Deal Review | Deal Timeline, Competitive, Risk Assessment, Stakeholder Map, Next Steps | Company Snapshot (condensed) | | General | All sections at equal weight | None |

Section definitions:

1. Header — "Account Brief: [Company]" + generation date + occasion badge (pill label like "Discovery Prep" or "QBR Brief")
2. Company Snapshot — Company name, logo (if available), industry, employee count, HQ location, funding stage, tech stack highlights, recent news/signals. Card-based layout.
3. ICP Fit — Fit score with a visual progress bar, matched segment name, 3-5 key fit reasons as checkmarks, any red flags as warnings.
4. Key Stakeholders — Cards for each person: name, title, LinkedIn URL, matched persona, inferred priorities, communication style notes. Highlight the primary contact.
5. Recommended Playbook — Playbook name, strategic angle, key themes to drive. Brief summary of the recommended approach.
6. Talking Points — Occasion-specific content:
   • Discovery: open-ended questions organized by category (rapport, pain exploration, qualification, future state)
   • Demo: recommended flow, features to highlight, proof points to weave in
   • Follow-up: recap of what was discussed, open items, proposed next steps
   • QBR: value delivered, metrics to highlight, expansion opportunities
   • Executive: strategic themes, board-level talking points, concise value narrative
7. Value Props to Lead With — 3-4 value props tailored to this account, each with a headline, supporting evidence, and a "say this" phrasing.
8. Competitive Landscape — If competitors detected: comparison table with key differentiators, landmine questions to ask, traps to avoid. Omit if no competitive signals.
9. Proof Points to Reference — Relevant case studies with metric highlights, customer quotes, and logo. Organized by relevance to this account's industry/size/use case.
10. Recent Signals — From findings: what was said in calls, objections raised, features requested, sentiment indicators. Each signal has a date and source. Omit if no findings data.
11. Deal Timeline — If existing deal: visual stage history (horizontal timeline or vertical step list), key events, current stage, days in stage, next milestone. Omit for new prospects.
12. Quick Reference — Sticky sidebar or footer cheat sheet: key facts at a glance, do's and don'ts for this conversation, one-line reminders. Always visible while scrolling.

HTML Architecture

See html-architecture.md for the full HTML scaffold, inline CSS, and key differences from deck HTML.

Content Density Guidelines

Briefs are reference documents, not presentations — they can hold more content per section than slides. But keep it scannable:

| Section | Content Limit | |---------|--------------| | Company Snapshot | 6-8 data fields in cards, 3-5 recent signals | | ICP Fit | Score bar + 5 fit reasons max | | Key Stakeholders | 4-6 stakeholder cards max | | Talking Points | 8-12 talking points grouped by category | | Value Props | 3-4 value props with evidence | | Competitive | Comparison table with 4-6 rows max | | Proof Points | 3-5 proof point cards | | Recent Signals | 5-8 most relevant findings | | Deal Timeline | 6-10 timeline events | | Quick Reference | 8-12 key facts / reminders |

If a section would exceed its limit, prioritize by relevance to the occasion and trim the rest.

Step 5: Delivery

After generating the HTML file:

1. Open the brief in the default browser
2. Present a summary:

BRIEF READY
============

Folder: .octave-briefs/<brief-name>-<date>/
File:   .octave-briefs/<brief-name>-<date>/<brief-name>.html
Style:  [Preset name or "Custom Brand"]
Sections: [List of included sections]

Navigation:
- Scroll naturally to read through sections
- Click nav dots on the right edge to jump to sections
- Click section headers to collapse/expand
- PDF (recommended): bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-.}"/scripts/export-pdf.sh .octave-briefs/<brief-name>-<date>/<brief-name>.html  — or Cmd+P / Ctrl+P -> Save as PDF

---

Want me to:
1. Adjust or expand a section
2. Add/remove stakeholders
3. Go deeper on any topic (competitive, signals, value props)
4. Change the style
5. Export as PDF (print dialog)
6. Generate a customer-facing one-pager from this (/octave:one-pager)
7. Build a presentation from this (/octave:deck)
8. Done

MCP Tools Used

Research & Enrichment

• enrich_company — Full company intelligence profile
• enrich_person — Full person intelligence report
• find_person — Find contacts at a company by title/role
• find_company — Find companies matching criteria
• qualify_company — ICP fit scoring for a company
• qualify_person — ICP fit scoring for a person

Library — Fetching Entities

• list_all_entities — Quick scan of all entities of a type (minimal fields, no pagination)
• list_entities — Fetch entities with full data and pagination (proof points, references, etc.)
• get_entity — Deep dive on one specific entity
• list_motions — List all Motions in the workspace
• list_motion_playbooks — List Motion Playbooks (Default + Custom) under a Motion
• get_motion_playbook — Full details for a Motion Playbook
• list_motion_icps — List Motion ICP cells (persona × segment intersections) for a Motion
• find_motion_icp — Full Motion ICP cell narrative (Target ICP overview, Operating landscape, Strategic narrative, Pains and consequences, Benefits and impacts, Methodology, References) plus Learning Loop learnings

Library — Searching

• search_knowledge_base — Semantic search across library entities and resources
• list_resources — Browse uploaded docs, URLs, and Google Drive files
• search_resources — Semantic search across uploaded resources

Intelligence & Signals

• list_findings — Recent conversation findings and insights
• list_events — Deal events (stage changes, meetings, outcomes)
• get_event_detail — Full details for a specific event

Content Generation

• generate_call_prep — Synthesized prep brief (useful as a starting point)
• generate_content — Generate positioning or messaging content

Error Handling

Octave Connection Failed:

Could not connect to your Octave workspace.

The brief builder needs Octave data to generate useful content. Without it, most sections would be empty.

To reconnect: check your MCP configuration or run /octave:workspace status

Company Not Found:

I couldn't find detailed intelligence for [domain].

Options:

1. Check the domain spelling and try again
2. Try a different domain or company name
3. Provide company details manually and I'll structure the brief

Person Not Found:

I couldn't find detailed information for [email/name].

I found their company ([Company]). Would you like me to:

1. Proceed with company research + generic persona guidance
2. Search for them on LinkedIn (provide URL)
3. Create a brief based on their title and company alone

No Matching Motion ICP:

No Motion ICP cell matches this audience profile directly.

I'll use general positioning from the knowledge base. Consider creating a Motion for this offering, or layering a Custom Motion Playbook (Thematic / Milestone / Account / Competitive) onto an existing Motion to cover this segment.

No Findings Data:

No conversation signals found for [company/person].

This may be a new prospect with no prior interactions. I'll skip the Recent Signals and Deal Timeline sections and focus on enrichment data, Motion ICP narrative, and proof points instead.

No Proof Points:

No proof points found in your library.

The Proof Points section will be omitted. To strengthen future briefs, add case studies and customer references to your Octave library.

Related Skills

• /octave:research — Text-based research and prep (brief is the visual, rendered version)
• /octave:one-pager — Customer-facing leave-behind document (brief is internal)
• /octave:deck — Full slide presentation (brief is a reference document)
• /octave:battlecard-doc — Competitive reference document (brief includes competitive context but is broader)
• /octave:pipeline — Deal-level coaching and pipeline strategy
• /octave:generate — Generate outreach content with brand voice control
• /octave:insights — Conversation intelligence deep dives