Outreach
yc-software/recruiting
Draft personalized cold outreach to a candidate the hiring manager hasn't contacted yet.
Agent skill
Cold Email Starter Kit
by growthenginenowoslawski in growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills
Complete beginner-friendly cold email toolkit. An agent skill from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.
Install Cold Email Starter Kit
$ npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-starter-kit -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills cold-email-starter-kit --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/cold-email-starter-kit .claude/skills/cold-email-starter-kit && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "cold-email-starter-kit" agent skill from https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email-starter-kit into .claude/skills/cold-email-starter-kit/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cold-email-starter-kit", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email-starter-kitType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-starter-kit -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills cold-email-starter-kit --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/cold-email-starter-kit .agents/skills/cold-email-starter-kit && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "cold-email-starter-kit" agent skill from https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email-starter-kit into .agents/skills/cold-email-starter-kit/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cold-email-starter-kit", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-starter-kit -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills cold-email-starter-kit --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/cold-email-starter-kit .cursor/skills/cold-email-starter-kit && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "cold-email-starter-kit" agent skill from https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email-starter-kit into .cursor/skills/cold-email-starter-kit/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cold-email-starter-kit", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.git --path skills/cold-email-starter-kit--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-starter-kit -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills cold-email-starter-kit --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/cold-email-starter-kit .gemini/skills/cold-email-starter-kit && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "cold-email-starter-kit" agent skill from https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email-starter-kit into .gemini/skills/cold-email-starter-kit/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cold-email-starter-kit", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills cold-email-starter-kitInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-starter-kit -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/cold-email-starter-kit .github/skills/cold-email-starter-kit && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "cold-email-starter-kit" agent skill from https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email-starter-kit into .github/skills/cold-email-starter-kit/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cold-email-starter-kit", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-starter-kit -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills cold-email-starter-kit --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/cold-email-starter-kit .opencode/skills/cold-email-starter-kit && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "cold-email-starter-kit" agent skill from https://github.com/growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email-starter-kit into .opencode/skills/cold-email-starter-kit/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "cold-email-starter-kit", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
cold-email-starter-kit- GitHub stars
- 753
- Token cost
- ~3.2k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 1,515 words
- Files
- 35 (incl. scripts, references)
- Skills in repo
- 49
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Complete beginner-friendly cold email toolkit. An agent skill from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.
- Works in 8 steps: Deliverability basics → understand why… → Strategy → pick your offer and ICP → Copywriting → write the sequence → …
- Setting up cold email for the first time
- SKILL.md covers What you'll build, The end-to-end flow, Before you start: prerequisites and Recommended entry point:…, plus 13 more sections
- Runs TypeScript scripts from its folder; calls node, npm and npx; needs SMARTLEAD_API_KEY and PROSPEO_API_KEY
What it does
Cold Email Starter Kit is an agent skill from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills. Complete beginner-friendly cold email toolkit. Walks from zero to launched campaign — domain purchase, inbox setup, list building, copywriting, enrichment, and sending via Smartlead or Instantly. Use when setting up cold email for the first time, launching a new campaign, teaching someone cold email, or when you need an end-to-end guide that bundles strategy, copy, infrastructure, and API references in one place.
Its SKILL.md is about 3.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 36 other files, including scripts and reference files (for example `references/00-getting-started.md`, `references/01-deliverability-fundamentals.md` and `references/02-campaign-strategy.md`).
It sits in Sales & Support, covering Cold outreach, Project scaffolding and Email management. The repository describes itself as: Open-source Claude Code skills for cold email and outbound sales. Grade campaigns, export Prospeo searches, scrape Google Maps — all from Claude Code. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Setting up cold email for the first time
- Launching a new campaign
- Teaching someone cold email
- You need an end-to-end guide that bundles strategy
Example prompts
- “/cold-email-starter-kit”
Requirements
- Node.js
- A credential in SMARTLEAD_API_KEY
- A credential in PROSPEO_API_KEY
Workflow steps
8 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Deliverability basics → understand why we buy domains + inboxes (read once)
- Strategy → pick your offer and ICP
- Copywriting → write the sequence
- Infrastructure → buy domains, create inboxes
- List building → pull prospects from Prospeo
- Enrichment (optional) → add personalization data
- Launch → upload to Smartlead or Instantly
- Analyze + iterate → pull metrics back, tweak
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 25c5d85. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Ships 2 files in scripts/ (TypeScript, from the files we listed), which the agent can run.
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
nodenpmnpx
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use npm and npx, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names these keys or tokens, usually read from environment variables:
SMARTLEAD_API_KEYPROSPEO_API_KEYMILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Cold Email Starter Kit loads about 3.2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~49k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 110 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,515 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check: notes
The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.
- NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:76
_API_KEY`, `MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY` in `.env` - NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:88
tting-started.md` | Accounts, API keys, `.env`, verify, cost breakdown | - NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:205
| `setup-env.sh` | Interactive `.env` bootstrap | - NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:223
- Reads `.env` from the skill root
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills at commit 25c5d85, republished under its MIT licence (© growthenginenowoslawski). 1,515 words, ~3,173 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/cold-email-starter-kit/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 34 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- cold-email-starter-kit
- description
- Complete beginner-friendly cold email toolkit. Walks from zero to launched campaign — domain purchase, inbox setup, list building, copywriting, enrichment, and sending via Smartlead or Instantly. Use when setting up cold email for the first time, launching a new campaign, teaching someone cold email, or when you need an end-to-end guide that bundles strategy, copy, infrastructure, and API references in one place.
Cold Email Starter Kit
A complete system for running cold email. Follow it top-to-bottom and you will have purchased domains, created warmed inboxes, built a lead list, written a campaign, and sent your first emails. Designed for beginners — no prior cold email experience required.
What you'll build
By the end of the flow you'll have:
- 10-20 throwaway sending domains purchased on Dynadot
- 20-40 warmed sending inboxes on Zapmail
- A 2,000-person lead list from Prospeo
- A 4-step email sequence with variants and personalization
- A live campaign in Smartlead or Instantly sending daily
- Analytics and reply handling set up
Total cost month 1: ~$186. Recurring: ~$126/mo. See references/00-getting-started.md for breakdown.
The end-to-end flow
- Deliverability basics → understand why we buy domains + inboxes (read once)
- Strategy → pick your offer and ICP
- Copywriting → write the sequence
- Infrastructure → buy domains, create inboxes
- List building → pull prospects from Prospeo
- Enrichment (optional) → add personalization data
- Launch → upload to Smartlead or Instantly
- Analyze + iterate → pull metrics back, tweak
Before you start: prerequisites
Technical:
- Node.js 20+ (
node --versionshould print v20 or higher) → install from nodejs.org tsx(npm install -g tsx)- Terminal comfort (you know what
cdandcpdo) - A text editor (VS Code recommended)
Accounts (sign up before continuing):
- Dynadot (domain registrar)
- Zapmail (inbox provider)
- Prospeo (lead source)
- Smartlead OR Instantly (sending platform — pick one)
Budget: ~$200 for your first campaign.
If any of the above is missing, start at references/00-getting-started.md. It has exact signup links and API-key retrieval instructions.
Recommended entry point: /cold-email-kickoff
Before reading this tutorial, invoke /cold-email-kickoff from Claude Code. It's a shorter, guided flow that orchestrates ICP onboarding + lead magnet + campaign strategy + a consolidated campaign plan — and hands you to the right next skill based on whether you have infrastructure already. Most users should start there.
This starter kit is the deeper manual tutorial for learning each step in detail. Use it if you want to understand what's happening under the hood, or if you want to wire up a specific step manually.
One-hour quick start
If you just want to launch your first campaign in a single session, stop reading this file and open references/14-60-minute-tutorial.md. It's a step-by-step walkthrough that assumes zero context and gives you exact commands to run.
Fast path — skip manual juggling once you've done it once
If you already have inboxes set up and just want a campaign to run automatically, invoke /auto-research-public. It does all of this in one flow: scrapes the target company → Claude generates an ICP → Prospeo pulls leads → emails are verified → Claude personalizes each lead via parallel Task sub-agents → Smartlead campaign launches. ~20 minutes end-to-end, no skill-juggling.
Prerequisites for the fast path:
- Ran
/icp-onboardingonce (producesclient-profile.yaml) - Ran
/zapmail-domain-setup-public+/smartlead-inbox-managerto have active inboxes - Have
SMARTLEAD_API_KEY,PROSPEO_API_KEY,MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEYin.env
The walkthrough below is for manual first-timer learning. If you've done a campaign once before, jump straight to /auto-research-public.
Reading order (for understanding)
The references/ folder is numbered in the order to read them the first time:
| # | File | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | 00-getting-started.md | Accounts, API keys, .env, verify, cost breakdown |
| 01 | 01-deliverability-fundamentals.md | SPF/DKIM/DMARC, warmup, domain strategy, volume math |
| 02 | 02-campaign-strategy.md | Generate 15-20 campaign ideas from your website |
| 03 | 03-campaign-copywriting.md | Stepwise copywriting: direction → subject → body → final |
| 04 | 04-sequence-structure.md | Timing, follow-ups, threading, A/B testing, spintax |
| 05 | 05-domain-and-inbox-setup.md | Dynadot purchase, Zapmail inboxes, export |
| 06 | 06-list-building-prospeo.md | Prospeo filters, state-by-state crawling, full-export |
| 07 | 07-enrichment-library.md | Optional enrichments + pricing |
| 08 | 08-smartlead-api.md | Smartlead API reference |
| 09 | 09-instantly-api.md | Instantly API reference |
| 10 | 10-reply-handling.md | Positive/negative/OOO/bounce playbook |
| 11 | 11-legal-compliance.md | CAN-SPAM, GDPR, unsubscribe requirements |
| 12 | 12-launch-checklist.md | Pre-flight QA |
| 13 | 13-troubleshooting.md | Error matrix |
| 14 | 14-60-minute-tutorial.md | Literal step-by-step first campaign |
Decision tree — where am I and what do I read?
| If you're at this point... | Read this |
|---|---|
| "I don't know what cold email even is" | 01-deliverability-fundamentals.md, then 02-campaign-strategy.md |
| "I have a product, need campaign ideas" | 02-campaign-strategy.md |
| "I have a campaign, need to write emails" | 03-campaign-copywriting.md + 04-sequence-structure.md |
| "I need inboxes but don't have them" | 05-domain-and-inbox-setup.md |
| "I need a lead list" | 06-list-building-prospeo.md |
| "My emails need personalization" | 07-enrichment-library.md |
| "Ready to upload to Smartlead" | 08-smartlead-api.md |
| "Ready to upload to Instantly" | 09-instantly-api.md |
| "Got my first replies, now what?" | 10-reply-handling.md |
| "Am I legal? GDPR? CAN-SPAM?" | 11-legal-compliance.md |
| "Something's broken" | 13-troubleshooting.md |
Choose your sending platform: Smartlead vs Instantly
| Criterion | Smartlead | Instantly |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price (2026) | ~$39/mo, 2K leads | ~$37/mo, 1K leads |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Inboxes | Unlimited on paid plans | Unlimited on paid plans |
| API auth | Query param (?api_key=) | Bearer token header |
| API endpoint count | ~50 | ~150+ |
| Master inbox | Yes (strong) | Yes (Unibox, strong) |
| Built-in warmup | Free | Included |
| AI reply categorization | Yes | Yes (lead-labels) |
| Branching follow-ups | Limited | Yes (Subsequences, first-class) |
| Inbox rotation | Yes | Yes |
| Deliverability testing | External tools | Built-in (inbox-placement-tests) |
| Done-for-you inboxes | No | Yes (DFY orders) |
| Built-in lead enrichment | No | Yes (SuperSearch) |
| Smartlead-exclusive | Simpler for beginners | — |
| Instantly-exclusive | — | Subsequences + Inbox Placement + SuperSearch |
Default recommendation for first-time users: Smartlead. Simpler mental model, cheaper at small scale, enough power for your first 6 months. Migrate to Instantly if you outgrow Smartlead's advanced features.
You only need one. Pick now so you know which API reference to read later.
Eric-proven defaults for your first campaign
Use these unless you have a specific reason to deviate:
- 20 domains × 2 inboxes = 40 sending inboxes — enough to warm 2 weeks then send ~1,200/day
- 30 emails/day/inbox (post-warmup) — never exceed
- 2,000 leads per campaign — good statistical size to learn from
- 4-step sequence — Day 0, Day 3, Day 7, Day 11
- 2-week warmup minimum before any real sending
.comdomains (~$10-14 each on Dynadot) — default choice. Fall back to.coif .com is taken. Avoid.info,.xyz, and other cheap TLDs — they hurt deliverability.- 2 inboxes per domain max (above that hurts reputation)
- 50-90 word emails — extend to 125 only if AI personalization justifies it
- Preview email to yourself first before any real send
- Reply within 30 seconds when a positive reply comes in — this looks 10x more human than replying hours later
Show full SKILL.md (540 more words)Show less
Common beginner mistakes (avoid these)
- Sending from your main domain. Instant risk of blacklisting your real business mail. Buy lookalike throwaway domains (e.g.
trygrowth.coto send on behalf ofgrowth.com). - Skipping warmup. New inboxes sending cold = instant spam folder. Minimum 2 weeks warmup.
- Buying one $30 domain. Buy 10-20
.com/.colookalike domains instead. Diversity = deliverability. - Writing emails longer than 90 words. Nobody reads long cold emails.
- Using em dashes (—). Gmail spam filters flag these. Use periods or commas.
- Sending without SPF/DKIM/DMARC. Zapmail sets these automatically if you connect domains through it. Verify with
dig. - Treating a 0% reply rate in week 1 as failure. Expect 2-5% reply rate over the full sequence; wins compound over follow-ups 2-4.
- Buying a list from a random "lead seller." Use Prospeo — verified, legal, clean data.
- Emailing EU consumers. B2B to EU is generally fine under legitimate interest, but consumer addresses are off-limits. See
11-legal-compliance.md. - Not handling replies fast. Replies that sit for hours go cold. Set up notifications.
When something breaks
Open references/13-troubleshooting.md. It has an error matrix keyed by symptom → cause → fix, plus diagnostic dig/curl commands for verifying setup.
Next steps after your first campaign
Once you've shipped and have ~2 weeks of data:
- Read
10-reply-handling.mdand set up unified inbox monitoring - Run
scripts/smartlead-pull-analytics.ts(or the Instantly equivalent) to get a CSV of daily stats - Rewrite the worst-performing email variant
- Launch campaign #2 in parallel (different targeting, same infrastructure)
- Study what's working and compound it
Scripts included
All in scripts/. Run with npx tsx scripts/<name>.ts.
| Script | Purpose |
|---|---|
setup-env.sh | Interactive .env bootstrap |
verify-credentials.ts | Ping all APIs, print ✅/❌ table |
dynadot-generate-domains.ts | Generate + availability-check domain candidates |
dynadot-bulk-purchase.ts | Purchase a batch of domains |
zapmail-full-setup.ts | NS switch → connect → inboxes → export (4-phase) |
prospeo-full-export.ts | Full paginated Prospeo search to CSV |
smartlead-create-campaign.ts | End-to-end campaign creation |
smartlead-add-leads.ts | Batch lead upload |
smartlead-pull-analytics.ts | Daily stats to CSV |
instantly-create-campaign.ts | Instantly campaign creation |
instantly-add-leads.ts | Instantly batch lead upload |
instantly-pull-analytics.ts | Instantly daily stats to CSV |
enrichments/company-phone.ts | Blitz company phone enrichment |
enrichments/ai-company-analysis.ts | OpenRouter GPT-4o-mini company analysis |
enrichments/company-news.ts | OpenWebNinja recent-news enrichment |
enrichments/linkedin-profile.ts | RapidAPI LinkedIn profile enrichment |
Every script:
- Reads
.envfrom the skill root - Is safe to re-run (idempotent where possible)
- Confirms before spending money (domain purchases)
- Writes structured output to CSV/JSON you can inspect
- Fails loudly on errors, never silently
Getting help
- Check
13-troubleshooting.mdfirst — it covers 90% of issues - Re-read the platform comparison if you're on the wrong tool
- For copy: run the QA checklist in
03-campaign-copywriting.md - For lists: re-read filter advice in
06-list-building-prospeo.md - Cold email subreddits (r/coldemail, r/salesdevelopment) are friendly if you post redacted details
A note on ethics
Cold email works best when it's actually useful. Skip consumer addresses, honor unsubscribes promptly, include a real address in your footer, and write something the recipient is glad they got.
That's most of what compliance comes down to in practice.
What to do next
If you're new to cold email: run /cold-email-kickoff instead of going through this tutorial manually. It orchestrates the entire setup (ICP + lead magnet + strategy + plan) in one flow.
If you want to do it manually: follow references/00-getting-started.md through 14-60-minute-tutorial.md in order. Each document points at the next.
Or wait: this is a tutorial. Either you're ready to learn, or you're not — no waiting.
© growthenginenowoslawski, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 34 other files (scripts, references) in skills/cold-email-starter-kit of growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.
- SKILL.md
- .env.example
- references/00-getting-started.md
- references/01-deliverability-fundamentals.md
- references/02-campaign-strategy.md
- references/03-campaign-copywriting.md
- references/04-sequence-structure.md
- references/05-domain-and-inbox-setup.md
- references/06-list-building-prospeo.md
- references/07-enrichment-library.md
- references/08-smartlead-api.md
- references/09-instantly-api.md
- references/10-reply-handling.md
- references/11-legal-compliance.md
- references/12-launch-checklist.md
- references/13-troubleshooting.md
- references/14-60-minute-tutorial.md
- scripts/_lib.ts
- scripts/dynadot-bulk-purchase.ts
- … and 16 more
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 25c5d85
Compare with similar skills
Cold Email Starter Kit next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Email Starter Kit this skillgrowthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills | 753 | — | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Outreachyc-software/recruiting | 115 | — | ~3k | Automated safety check: Notes | None | |
| Cold Outreachericrisco/rsc-harness | 180 | — | ~4.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Email Response Simulationextruct-ai/gtm-skills | 109 | — | ~2.8k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| X Use Engageihuzaifashoukat/x-use | 171 | — | ~1.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Cold Outbound Optimizerericosiu/ai-marketing-skills | 3.6k | 1 repos | ~1.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
Similar skills
Cold Outreach
ericrisco/rsc-harness
A skill your agent uses when writing a cold email or LinkedIn DM to a stranger and its cadence: first-touch copy under a word ceiling, 4-7 step bump sequences, per-inbox volume and warm-up limits…
Email Response Simulation
extruct-ai/gtm-skills
Deep persona simulation and skeptical buyer review for cold emails.
X Use Engage
ihuzaifashoukat/x-use
Research X posts or profiles and prepare persona-voice public replies or individual profile outreach drafts with x-use.
Cold Outbound Optimizer
ericosiu/ai-marketing-skills
Design, analyze, and optimize cold outbound email campaigns for Instantly.
Prospecting
coreyhaines31/marketingskills
When the user wants to find, qualify, and build a list of prospects to reach out to, across B2B SaaS, general B2B, or local small businesses.
More from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills
All 49 skills in this repoEmail Deliverability Audit
growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills
Diagnostic audit for a running cold email program. An agent skill from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.
Icp Onboarding
growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills
Conversational intake for cold email campaigns. An agent skill from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.
List Builder
growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills
META skill — build the largest possible qualified lead list for any request, end to end.
Auto Research Public
growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills
Autonomous cold email campaign launcher. An agent skill from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills.
Blitz List Builder
growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills
Use the Blitz API to find decision-makers at specific companies when you already have a list of company domains.
Deliverability Test Public
growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills
Compare reply rates, bounce rates, and positive reply rates broken down by inbox type (SMTP / Gmail / Outlook) for a Smartlead account.
Related
Categories
Questions about Cold Email Starter Kit
What does Cold Email Starter Kit do?
Complete beginner-friendly cold email toolkit. An agent skill from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills. Cold Email Starter Kit is an agent skill from growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills. Complete beginner-friendly cold email toolkit.
When should I use Cold Email Starter Kit?
Cold Email Starter Kit fits situations like: setting up cold email for the first time; launching a new campaign; teaching someone cold email; you need an end-to-end guide that bundles strategy.
How do I install Cold Email Starter Kit in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-starter-kit -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/cold-email-starter-kit in growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills) into .claude/skills/cold-email-starter-kit in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Cold Email Starter Kit in Codex?
Run `npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-starter-kit -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/cold-email-starter-kit in growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills) into .agents/skills/cold-email-starter-kit in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Cold Email Starter Kit in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills --skill cold-email-starter-kit -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/cold-email-starter-kit, .gemini/skills/cold-email-starter-kit, .github/skills/cold-email-starter-kit and .opencode/skills/cold-email-starter-kit in your project.
What does Cold Email Starter Kit need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Cold Email Starter Kit needs TypeScript for the scripts in its folder, the command-line tools its instructions call (node, npm and npx) and credentials named SMARTLEAD_API_KEY, PROSPEO_API_KEY and MILLIONVERIFIER_API_KEY. Our summary lists: Node.js; A credential in SMARTLEAD_API_KEY; A credential in PROSPEO_API_KEY.
Does Cold Email Starter Kit access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use npm and npx, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Cold Email Starter Kit safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (mentions a .env file), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.
What licence does Cold Email Starter Kit use?
Cold Email Starter Kit is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Cold Email Starter Kit use?
About 3.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 13k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 46k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Cold Email Starter Kit?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Cold Email Starter Kit: Outreach (yc-software/recruiting, 115 stars), Cold Outreach (ericrisco/rsc-harness, 180 stars), Email Response Simulation (extruct-ai/gtm-skills, 109 stars) and X Use Engage (ihuzaifashoukat/x-use, 171 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Cold Email Starter Kit?
growthenginenowoslawski (a GitHub user) maintains it in growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills, which has 753 GitHub stars. The repository holds 49 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 5, 2026.
Source: growthenginenowoslawski/coldoutboundskills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.