/cs-inbox-setup

name: "cs-inbox-setup"
description: "/cs:inbox-setup — Interactive 8-section interview that builds a personalized 7-file email-triage knowledge base. ~25-31 grill-me questions, one at a time. Run ONCE; re-run when business/pricing/priorities change. Companion to /cs:inbox-triage."

/cs:inbox-setup — Email Triage Onboarding

**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`](../skills/inbox-setup/references/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

Related

• Companion: [