Proposal Writing

Generate professional client proposals in Markdown format with 7 structured sections and 3 pricing packages. Produces a complete proposal document plus a SOW-compatible brief file for handoff to #14 SOW Generator via /founder-os:sow:from-brief.

Proposal Structure

Every proposal contains exactly 7 sections in this order. Never omit a section — if input data is insufficient for a section, note what is missing and produce a reasonable draft with <!-- NEEDS REVIEW: reason --> comments.

#	Section	Purpose	Target Length
1	Cover Letter	Personalized introduction, establish rapport	3-4 paragraphs
2	Executive Summary	Problem-solution-value at a glance	1 page max
3	Understanding & Approach	Demonstrate client understanding	1-2 pages
4	Scope of Work	Deliverables, milestones, exclusions	2-3 pages
5	Timeline & Milestones	Phase breakdown with week numbers	1 page
6	Pricing	3 packages with comparison table	1-2 pages
7	Terms & Conditions	Payment, IP, change control, confidentiality	1 page

Section Rules

1. Cover Letter

Open with a specific reference to the client's situation — never a generic greeting. Structure:

• Paragraph 1: Reference recent conversation, meeting, or RFP. Name the client's core challenge.
• Paragraph 2: Summarize the proposed approach and its primary benefit.
• Paragraph 3: Highlight relevant experience or a comparable past project (if CRM data is available).
• Paragraph 4: Close with a clear next step and contact information.

Anti-patterns: Do not open with "Dear Sir/Madam" or "We are pleased to submit." Do not describe the provider's company history. The cover letter is about the client, not the provider.

2. Executive Summary

Follow the problem-solution-value framework in exactly three parts:

• Problem: State the client's challenge in their language, not technical jargon.
• Solution: Describe the proposed approach in 2-3 sentences. Name the key deliverables.
• Value: Quantify the expected impact — time saved, revenue enabled, risk mitigated. If quantification is not possible, describe the qualitative business outcome.

Keep under 300 words. A decision-maker should understand the entire engagement from this section alone.

3. Understanding & Approach

Demonstrate comprehension of the client's situation before prescribing a solution:

• Restate the client's goals, challenges, and constraints in original language (not copied from the brief).
• Identify 2-3 underlying problems the client may not have articulated.
• Present the methodology or approach with rationale for key choices.
• Explain why this approach fits this specific client, not why it works in general.

4. Scope of Work

Present deliverables in a table with four columns:

| Deliverable | Description | Acceptance Criteria | Milestone |
|-------------|-------------|---------------------|-----------|

Rules:

• Each deliverable is a noun (an output), not a verb (an activity). "API Integration Module" not "Integrate APIs."
• Acceptance criteria must be binary and testable. "Passes 95% of test suite" not "Works correctly."
• Include an explicit Exclusions subsection listing items a client might reasonably expect. Every exclusion needs a rationale.
• Include an Assumptions subsection listing conditions that must hold for the proposal to remain valid.

5. Timeline & Milestones

Present a phase-based timeline table:

| Phase | Deliverables | Weeks | Dependencies |
|-------|-------------|-------|--------------|

Rules:

• Use single week numbers, not ranges. "Week 4" not "Weeks 3-5."
• Include a Kickoff phase (Week 1) and Final Delivery phase.
• Map every deliverable from the Scope section to a phase.
• Note client-side dependencies (approvals, assets, access) explicitly.

6. Pricing

Present 3 packages in a comparison table. Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/proposal/pricing-strategy/SKILL.md for the full pricing methodology. Follow these layout rules:

• Lead with scope, not price. The first differentiator row must describe what is included.
• Mark the recommended package with a "Recommended" indicator.
• Include a "What's Included" breakdown below the comparison table showing each package's deliverables.
• Follow with individual package detail sections.

7. Terms & Conditions

Include four standard subsections:

• Payment Terms: Reference the payment schedule (milestone-based, monthly, or upfront with discount). Tie payments to deliverable acceptance, not dates.
• Change Control: Changes to scope require a written Change Order with impact assessment before work begins.
• Intellectual Property: All custom work product transfers to client upon final payment. Provider retains anonymized portfolio rights.
• Confidentiality: Both parties maintain confidentiality of proprietary information disclosed during the engagement.

Keep terms concise and commercial — this is a proposal, not a legal contract.

Writing Style

• Active voice, present tense for deliverables: "The team delivers" not "will be delivered."
• Client-first framing: Lead every deliverable with what the client receives. "A dashboard your team manages independently" not "We build a dashboard."
• Specific language: Replace every instance of "various", "ongoing", "as needed", "and similar" with explicit lists or boundaries.
• Sentence length: Under 25 words in Scope and Deliverables sections. Longer sentences acceptable in Cover Letter and Executive Summary.
• Professional markdown: H2 for sections, H3 for subsections, tables for structured data, bold for emphasis. No emojis.

Output Files

Generate two files per proposal:

Proposal File

proposals/proposal-[client-slug]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md — The complete 7-section proposal document.

SOW-Compatible Brief File

proposals/brief-[client-slug]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md — A structured brief file consumable by /founder-os:sow:from-brief. Contains: Client info, Project Overview, Deliverables list, Constraints (budget, timeline, priorities), Selected Package (defaults to Professional), and Additional Context from CRM.

CRM Context Integration

When Notion CRM is available, search CRM Pro databases (Companies, Contacts, Deals) for the client name. Use found context to:

• Personalize the cover letter with relationship history
• Reference past projects or engagements in Understanding & Approach
• Tailor pricing to historical budget ranges
• Note the client's industry and known priorities

When Notion is unavailable, proceed without CRM data — all CRM-enriched sections degrade gracefully to input-only content.

Notion Tracking

On completion, create or update a record in the consolidated "Founder OS HQ - Deliverables" database with Type = "Proposal".

Database Discovery

1. Search for "[FOS] Deliverables" database first (preferred)
2. If not found, fall back to "Founder OS HQ - Deliverables" database
3. If not found, fall back to legacy "Proposal Automator - Proposals" database
4. If none exists, skip Notion tracking (do NOT lazy-create the database)

Record Fields

Set these fields on every record:

• Type: "Proposal" (select)
• Status: "Draft"
• Package Selected: "None"
• Record both proposal and brief file paths

Company + Deal Relations

When writing to "Founder OS HQ - Deliverables":

• Company relation: Look up the client name in the CRM Pro "Companies" database. If a match is found, set the Company relation property to link to that company record.
• Deal relation: If the proposal is associated with a specific deal (found during CRM context resolution in Step 1), set the Deal relation property to link to that deal record.
• If no Company or Deal match is found, leave the relation properties empty — never create placeholder records.

Upsert Key

Upsert key: Client Name + Project Title (same as before). When upserting in "Founder OS HQ - Deliverables", also filter by Type = "Proposal" to avoid collisions with other deliverable types.

Quality Checklist

Before outputting a proposal, verify:

• All 7 sections present in correct order
• Every deliverable has testable acceptance criteria
• Exclusions section covers at least 3 items
• Timeline maps every deliverable to a phase
• Pricing has exactly 3 packages with comparison table
• No placeholder text, TODO markers, or [FILL IN] remnants
• SOW-compatible brief file generated alongside proposal
• Client name appears consistently throughout (no mismatches)

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For detailed section templates with worked examples:

• ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/proposal/proposal-writing/references/section-templates.md — Complete example content for each of the 7 proposal sections with annotations