where-to-start

This playbook frames the situation, holds it against the map of playbooks, and recommends a first move a senior advisor would stand behind. Judgment stays with you; the references make sure it looks at the right things.

Name each move by what it does ("set up your welcome and post-purchase emails"), using the "Say it as" names in references/playbook-map.md.

What you get

A first-move recommendation on one screen: the read of the situation, the one constraint in the way, one or two moves (or a step the marketer takes plus one move alongside), what to bring, what not to do yet and why, a "worked if" with a number and a date, when to come back, and an offer of the next job in plain words. The marketer's answers are saved with the brand, so the next visit, the brand setup and the job they ask for next don't ask again.

Before you start

1. Setup first: do the marketing-guide skill (../marketing-guide/SKILL.md) §1–2 (connect, brand, brain read) before anything else; the job line is "I look at what we already know about your business through it." Here: call get_started with wants: "more" and keep any card to one line; note each brand's ad_library_ad_count from the brand list. Never offer a partial list of brands as if it were all of them. A brand with no description and no research is an empty placeholder: treat it as no brand and don't write to it. Never start brand setup or research here.
2. Is this really the confused ask? A broad growth ask ("grow my brand", "get more customers or sales", "where do I start") is this playbook's job even when GooseWorks offers a campaign: never turn it into a campaign plan, ads or a calendar before these steps. If they name an outcome one playbook owns, or ask why this week's numbers moved on channels already running, offer that job straight away in plain words (references/playbook-map.md) and stop. If the direct ask is plainly blocked by something they said ("do ads" with no budget), still offer it, but name the blocker in one line and offer the first-move check instead.

Steps