--- name: huytieu/daily-brief source: https://app.decimal.ai/s/huytieu-daily-brief@2/SKILL.md source_sha256: f850644fb6f7 --- # COG Daily Brief Skill ## Purpose Find verified, relevant news for personalized daily briefings with strict verification standards and strategic relevance analysis tailored to user's specific interests and projects. ## When to Invoke - User wants their daily news briefing - User says "daily brief", "news", "what's happening", "morning brief" - User wants to stay updated on their interests - Morning routine or regular check-in time ## Agent Mode Awareness **Check `agent_mode` in `00-inbox/MY-PROFILE.md` frontmatter:** - If `agent_mode: team` — delegate news research across different interest areas to parallel sub-agents (e.g., one agent per topic cluster). Each agent searches, verifies sources, and returns findings. Combine and synthesize results into the final brief. - If `agent_mode: solo` (default) — handle all research and synthesis directly in the conversation. No delegation. ## Pre-Flight Check **Before executing, check for user profile:** 1. Look for `00-inbox/MY-PROFILE.md` and `00-inbox/MY-INTERESTS.md` in the vault 2. If NOT found: ``` Welcome to COG! Daily briefs work best when personalized. Let's quickly set up your profile (takes 2 minutes). Would you like to run onboarding first, or should I generate a general brief? ``` 3. If found: - Read `MY-INTERESTS.md` to get topics for news curation - Read `MY-PROFILE.md` to get user's name and active projects - Read `03-professional/COMPETITIVE-WATCHLIST.md` if exists for competitive tracking - Use topics to curate relevant news - Connect news to user's active projects when relevant **Get current timestamp (REQUIRED before generating any files):** 1. Run `date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M'` using Bash to get the actual current date and time 2. Store this value and use it for the `created:` frontmatter field 3. NEVER guess or fabricate the time — always use the value returned by the `date` command ## Process Flow ### 1. Gather Context Collect the information needed for personalized curation: - Read `00-inbox/MY-PROFILE.md` for: - User's name - User's role/job - Active projects - Read `00-inbox/MY-INTERESTS.md` for: - Topics they're interested in - Preferred news sources - Read `03-professional/COMPETITIVE-WATCHLIST.md` (if exists) for: - Companies/people to track #### Deduplication — Previous Brief Scan Read up to 3 most recent daily briefs from `01-daily/briefs/` (most recent first): - Extract `dedup_urls` from their frontmatter (if present) - Also scan their headlines/story titles as semantic fallback for cross-source matching - Build a set of **covered stories** to avoid repeating **Matching rules (in priority order):** 1. **URL match (primary):** If a candidate story's main source URL already appears in `dedup_urls`, it's a known story 2. **Headline match (fallback):** If the URL is different but the headline describes the same event as a previous story, treat as duplicate — this catches the same story reported by different outlets During news research (Step 2), apply dedup rules: - **Skip** stories already covered unless there is a **material update** (new data, resolution, escalation, reversal) - If including an update, prefix with "**Update:** _first covered [date]_" - Stories older than 3 briefs are eligible for re-inclusion if still developing ### 2. News Research and Curation Apply comprehensive news research methodology: #### Interest-Based Research - Search based on user's current interest profile - Focus on strategic relevance to user's role and projects - Identify emerging patterns and developments - Diversify sources for balanced perspective #### Verification Standards (MANDATORY) **Date Verification:** - ALL news MUST be from last 7 days ONLY - Verify publication dates with verified timestamps - NEVER include older news without explicit disclosure **Source Credibility Assessment:** - **Tier 1 Sources (Highest Credibility):** Major news organizations (Reuters, AP, Bloomberg, WSJ, NYT), official company announcements, government statements - **Tier 2 Sources (High Credibility):** Industry publications, credible tech/business blogs, research reports from reputable firms - **Tier 3 Sources (Moderate - Verify Carefully):** Social media from verified accounts, company blogs, community discussions - Minimum 2 credible sources for any claim - Cross-reference key facts and figures **Fact Cross-Reference:** - Verify claims across multiple independent sources - Use WebFetch to verify any statistics before including them - Identify potential bias and provide balanced perspective #### Strategic Relevance Analysis Assess impact on user: **Direct Impact (High Priority):** - News directly affecting user's projects or companies - Regulatory changes affecting user's industry - Competitive moves by direct competitors - Technology developments affecting user's tech stack **Strategic Impact (Medium Priority):** - Market trends affecting user's target customers - Investment patterns in user's industry - Talent market changes affecting hiring - Partnership opportunities or threats **Contextual Impact (Lower Priority):** - Broader economic trends affecting business climate - Technology trends affecting future planning - Industry thought leadership and opinion - Educational content for professional development #### Opportunity and Threat Identification **Opportunities:** - Market Opportunities: New markets or customer segments opening - Technology Opportunities: New tools or platforms to leverage - Partnership Opportunities: Potential collaboration partners - Competitive Opportunities: Competitor weaknesses or market gaps **Threats:** - Competitive Threats: New competitors or competitive advantages - Technology Threats: Disruptive technologies or obsolescence risks - Market Threats: Market shifts or customer behavior changes - Regulatory Threats: New regulations or compliance requirements ### 3. Generate Daily Brief Create structured briefing document: ```markdown --- type: "daily-brief" domain: "shared" date: "YYYY-MM-DD" created: "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM" sources_verified: true news_age_verified: true confidence: "high" tags: ["#daily-brief", "#news", "#strategic-intelligence"] interests: ["interest1", "interest2"] projects_referenced: ["project1"] items_count: [number] dedup_urls: ["https://primary-source-url-for-each-story-covered"] --- # Daily Brief - [Date] **Good [morning/afternoon], [Name]!** ## Executive Summary [2-3 sentences highlighting the most important developments across all your interest areas] --- ## High Impact News ### [News Item 1 - Direct Impact] **Relevance:** [Why this matters to you specifically] [Detailed summary of the news] **Impact Assessment:** - **Projects Affected:** [Which of your projects this impacts] - **Potential Effects:** [Specific implications] - **Action Suggested:** [Recommended response or follow-up] **Sources:** - [Source Name 1] (Tier [1/2/3]) - [Publication Date] - [Link] - [Source Name 2] (Tier [1/2/3]) - [Publication Date] - [Link] **Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low] - [Reasoning] --- ### [News Item 2 - Direct Impact] [Same structure as above] --- ## Strategic Developments ### [News Item 3 - Strategic Impact] **Relevance:** [Why this matters strategically] [Detailed summary] **Strategic Implications:** - [Implication 1] - [Implication 2] - [Implication 3] **Sources:** - [Source listings with credibility tiers and links] **Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low] - [Reasoning] --- ## Market Intelligence ### [News Item 4 - Market Trends] **Relevance:** [Why this market trend matters] [Detailed summary] **Market Impact:** - [Impact on target customers] - [Industry trends] - [Investment patterns] **Sources:** - [Source listings with credibility tiers and links] **Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low] - [Reasoning] --- ## Technology Watch ### [News Item 5 - Tech Developments] **Relevance:** [Why this technology matters] [Detailed summary] **Technology Implications:** - [Impact on tech stack] - [New tools or platforms] - [Emerging technologies] **Sources:** - [Source listings with credibility tiers and links] **Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low] - [Reasoning] --- ## Competitive Landscape ### [Competitor/Company Name - From Watchlist] **Recent Activity:** [Summary of competitive intelligence gathered] **Competitive Implications:** - [What this means for your projects] - [Opportunities or threats] - [Recommended responses] **Sources:** - [Source listings with credibility tiers and links] **Confidence:** [High/Medium/Low] - [Reasoning] --- ## Opportunities & Recommendations **Note:** Calculate actual due dates from today's date and append Obsidian Tasks emoji format. ### Immediate Actions (Today/This Week) - [ ] [Specific action item 1] 📅 [YYYY-MM-DD = today's date] - [ ] [Specific action item 2] 📅 [YYYY-MM-DD = today's date] - [ ] [Specific action item 3] 📅 [YYYY-MM-DD = end of this week] ### Research Needed - [Area 1 requiring deeper investigation] - [Area 2 to monitor closely] ### People to Inform/Consult - [Stakeholder 1]: [About what] - [Stakeholder 2]: [About what] --- ## Risks & Threats ### Active Threats - **Threat 1:** [Description and mitigation approach] - **Threat 2:** [Description and mitigation approach] ### Emerging Risks to Monitor - [Risk 1 to watch] - [Risk 2 to watch] --- ## Verification Report ### Source Analysis - **Tier 1 Sources:** [count] - [list main ones] - **Tier 2 Sources:** [count] - [list main ones] - **Cross-References Performed:** [number] ### Fact-Checking Results - **Verified Claims:** [count] - **Unverified Claims:** [count with explanation if any] - **Conflicting Information:** [count with resolution approach if any] ### Freshness Verification - ✅ All news items verified within 7-day window - Publication date range: [Oldest date] to [Newest date] ### Confidence Assessment - **Overall Confidence:** [percentage]% - **High Confidence Items:** [count] - **Medium Confidence Items:** [count] - **Low Confidence Items:** [count] - [reasons if any] --- ## Complete Sources ### Strategic News 1. [Full source citation with link] 2. [Full source citation with link] ### Market Intelligence 1. [Full source citation with link] 2. [Full source citation with link] ### Technology Watch 1. [Full source citation with link] 2. [Full source citation with link] ### Competitive Intelligence 1. [Full source citation with link] 2. [Full source citation with link] --- *Curated by COG News Curator | All news verified within 7-day freshness window | Sources cross-referenced for accuracy* ``` Save to: `01-daily/briefs/daily-brief-YYYY-MM-DD.md` ### 4. Handle Special Cases **When No Recent News Found:** If no relevant news found in last 7 days for a particular interest area: ```markdown ### [Interest Area] **No significant news found in last 7 days** Last significant development was [date if known] regarding [topic if known]. **Suggestions:** - Consider expanding search criteria - Check [alternative sources suggested] - This area may be experiencing a quiet period ``` **NEVER fabricate or use older news without explicit date disclosure.** **When Information Cannot Be Verified:** ```markdown ### [Potential News Item] **⚠️ Unable to verify from independent sources** **Original Source:** [source] - Credibility: [assessment] **What We Know:** [What can be stated based on single source] **What's Uncertain:** [Specific claims that couldn't be verified] **Recommendation:** Monitor for additional confirmation before acting **Confidence:** Low - [reasoning] ``` **When Sources Conflict:** ```markdown ### [News Item with Conflicting Reports] **⚠️ Conflicting information from multiple sources** **Perspective 1:** [Summary] - **Source:** [source with credibility tier] **Perspective 2:** [Summary] - **Source:** [source with credibility tier] **Areas of Agreement:** - [What sources agree on] **Areas of Disagreement:** - [Where sources conflict] **Recommendation:** [Approach for resolution or further research] **Confidence:** Medium - [reasoning] ``` ### 5. Confirm Completion - Confirm file was created - Show user: "Daily brief saved to [file path]" - Optionally show executive summary - Ask if they want to explore any topic deeper or capture thoughts via braindump skill ## Loop Engineering Daily brief is a **verify-retry loop**, not a single search. See `.claude/skills/loop-engineering/SKILL.md` for the shared vocabulary. **The loop (per interest area):** search → fetch a candidate → run the verifier → keep it or discard and re-search with an adjusted query → repeat until enough verified items or a stop condition fires. In `agent_mode: team`, run one loop per interest cluster as isolated workers (orchestrator-workers), then synthesize. **The verifier (deterministic, runs every candidate):** - Publication date is within the last 7 days. Mechanical date check, not a guess. - At least 2 independent credible sources for the claim. - Source tier is identified (1 / 2 / 3). Tier 3 needs cross-reference before it survives. - Not already seen (story dedup): a candidate whose URL or headline is already in the brief is dropped. A candidate that fails any check is discarded, not softened. This is COG's verification-first rule applied inside the loop: never let an item in on the agent's own "this looks recent enough." **Termination conditions (layered):** - **Goal met:** target item count reached for the interest area. - **Hard cap:** stop after ~5 searches per interest area. - **No-progress:** 2 consecutive searches surface nothing new (after dedup) → emit the "No significant news found" block (see Handle Special Cases) and move on. Never backfill with older or fabricated news. - **Budget guard:** overall fetch budget across all areas. **Patterns:** evaluator-optimizer (each item scored against the verifier) + reflect-retry (a failed search informs the next query) + orchestrator-workers (team mode). **In-loop context:** write verified items straight into the brief file as they pass; drop raw fetched page text once the summary and sources are extracted. ## Integration with Other Skills ### Follow-up Actions After daily brief, suggest: - **braindump skill** - Capture thoughts sparked by news - **weekly-checkin skill** - Reflect on news patterns over the week - Project-specific analysis if news impacts active projects ## Performance Metrics ### Verification Quality - Source Credibility Score: Average credibility rating of sources used - Fact Accuracy Rate: Percentage of facts that remain accurate over time - Cross-Reference Rate: Percentage of claims verified through multiple sources - Date Accuracy: 100% compliance with 7-day freshness requirement (MANDATORY) ### Relevance Quality - User Engagement: Percentage of news items user finds valuable - Action Generation: Percentage of news items leading to user action - Strategic Value: User assessment of strategic importance - Timing Relevance: How well news timing aligns with user needs ## Learning and Adaptation ### Interest Profile Refinement - Monitor which news items user finds most valuable - Incorporate user feedback on relevance and importance - Identify patterns in user interest evolution - Anticipate interest changes based on project evolution ### Source Quality Learning - Track accuracy of different sources over time - Build understanding of source reliability patterns - Learn to identify and account for source bias patterns - Continuously improve source selection criteria ### Relevance Algorithm Improvement - Improve ability to predict news impact on user - Learn optimal framing for different types of news - Better understanding of user's strategic context - Improve identification of actionable news items ## Success Criteria - All news within 7-day window (100% compliance) - All sources verified and linked - User finds briefing relevant and actionable - Confidence levels clearly stated - Opportunities and risks identified - Follow-up actions suggested ## Philosophy The daily brief skill embodies COG's verification-first approach: - No AI hallucinations - everything sourced and verified - Transparency in confidence levels - Explicit uncertainty when information can't be verified - User empowered to make informed decisions based on reliable intelligence