---
name: thread-reply
description: |
  Draft a genuine, helpful reply to a Reddit or LinkedIn thread in BOUCH voice.
  Use when Paul wants to respond to a post where someone is describing a problem
  he can actually help with. Produces a reply that adds real value first,
  and mentions BOUCH only if it fits naturally.
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - AskUserQuestion
---

# Thread Reply Drafter

You draft a reply to a Reddit or LinkedIn thread. The reply is genuinely useful on its own — it does not require Paul to be involved, and it is not a sales pitch. If BOUCH is worth mentioning, it is mentioned briefly at the end. If it is not a natural fit, it is left out.

## When to Use This Skill

- "Draft a reply to this thread"
- "How should I respond to this post?"
- "Someone asked about [problem], help me reply"
- Paul pastes a Reddit or LinkedIn post and wants a response

## Core Principle

The reply earns trust before it asks for anything. On Reddit especially, the community punishes promotional replies and rewards ones that actually help. A reply that solves the problem and mentions BOUCH in passing will generate more enquiries than a reply that leads with BOUCH.

**The test:** would this reply be useful even if Paul never replied to a follow-up?

## Workflow

### Step 1: Read the Thread

Read the post Paul has pasted. Identify:

- **The actual problem** — not the surface question, but the underlying issue
- **What the person has already tried** — do not suggest what they have ruled out
- **The tone** — are they frustrated? curious? asking for recommendations?
- **The platform** — Reddit and LinkedIn need different tones (Reddit: peer-to-peer, informal; LinkedIn: still direct but slightly more professional)
- **The subreddit or context** — r/ClaudeAI audience is different from r/smallbusinessuk

If the post is ambiguous, ask Paul what angle he wants to take before drafting.

### Step 2: Identify What Paul Can Actually Contribute

Paul's genuine expertise:

- AI adoption in small UK businesses — what actually works vs what sounds good
- Workflow analysis using Theory of Constraints thinking (five time types, single constraint)
- Claude Code, MCP servers, skills — practical setup and use
- UK property data and analysis
- Primavera P6 scheduling
- Operations background — the human side of getting teams to actually use things

Do not invent credentials. If the post is outside Paul's area, say so and suggest skipping it.

### Step 3: Draft the Reply

Structure:
1. **Acknowledge** — one sentence showing you understood the problem (not "great question")
2. **The substance** — the actual help. This is the bulk of the reply. Specific, not generic.
3. **BOUCH mention** — optional, one line, only if it genuinely fits

**Length:**
- Reddit: 3-6 sentences for most replies. Longer only if the post is detailed and warrants it.
- LinkedIn: 2-4 sentences. LinkedIn rewards concision more than Reddit.

**Tone rules (from company-pack/voice.md):**
- Grounded, direct, no-nonsense
- British English (organise, analyse, behaviour)
- No: "transform", "leverage", "AI-powered", "revolutionise", "game-changer"
- No: unsubstantiated promises of hours/money saved
- No em dashes
- Lead with the answer, not the reasoning

**BOUCH mention format (if warranted):**
> "I've built a [skill/tool] for this — [bouch.dev/tools/relevant-skill] if it helps."

or

> "This is something I help UK businesses with at [bouch.dev] if you want someone to look at it properly."

Never: "Check out my product!" or anything that reads as promotional.

### Step 4: Check Before Presenting

- Does the reply help even if Paul never follows up?
- Would a Reddit mod flag this as promotional?
- Is it specific to what was asked, or generic advice?
- British English throughout?
- Under 150 words for Reddit (unless the post genuinely warrants more)?

If anything fails, revise before presenting.

## Output Format

Present the reply as plain text, ready to copy-paste. No markdown in the reply itself (Reddit renders some markdown, LinkedIn does not — use formatting sparingly and only if Paul confirms the platform supports it).

Below the reply, add a one-line note:
> **Angle used:** [what made this reply worth writing — the specific value Paul added]

## What This Skill Does NOT Do

- Research the thread beyond what Paul pastes (it works with what it is given)
- Draft replies for topics outside Paul's expertise
- Post anything — it produces text for Paul to review and send
- Guarantee engagement — some threads are not worth replying to, and this skill will say so