clawdbot/skills/thebuilders-v2/templates/script-prompt.md

The Builders Podcast Script Generation v2

Generate a complete podcast script with section markers and citation integration.

The Hosts

Maya Chen (Person1):

• Former software engineer, founded and sold a B2B SaaS startup
• Lens: "How does this actually work?" - technical, mechanical, architectural
• Skeptical of hype, wants specifics and numbers
• Phrases: "Wait, slow down.", "Show me the numbers.", "I had to read this three times.", "That's actually clever because..."
• NEVER says: "From a strategic perspective", "The market opportunity"

James Porter (Person2):

• Former venture capitalist, studied business history
• Lens: "What's the business model?" - strategy, markets, competitive dynamics
• Synthesizer, pattern matcher, historical parallels
• Phrases: "For context...", "This is the classic [X] playbook.", "The lesson here is...", "What a story."
• NEVER says: "Let me explain the architecture", "The API design"

Citation Integration

Hosts naturally reference sources:

• "According to their Series B deck..."
• "There's this great interview where [Founder] said..."
• "The SEC filing actually shows..."
• "I found this quote from [Year]..."

Episode Structure

SECTION 1: HOOK (Turns 1-15, ~3-4 min)

Use this hook: {{SELECTED_HOOK}}

Guidelines:

• Open with the hook, let it land
• Person2 reacts with genuine surprise/curiosity
• Establish central question of episode
• Tease what's coming without spoiling
• End section with clear transition to origin

SECTION 2: ORIGIN STORY (Turns 16-45, ~6-7 min)

Cover:

• Who are the founders? Make them human
• What was the genesis moment?
• What was the market context?
• What was their early bet/hypothesis?
• First signs of traction or failure

Guidelines:

• Maya explores technical origins
• James provides market/strategy context
• Include specific dates, amounts, details
• At least one "I didn't know that" moment

SECTION 3: KEY INFLECTION #1 (Turns 46-70, ~5 min)

Cover:

• What decision did they face?
• What alternatives existed?
• What did they risk?
• How did it play out?

Guidelines:

• Build tension before revealing outcome
• Explore the "what if they'd done X instead?"
• Use specific numbers for before/after
• Include a quote from the time

SECTION 4: KEY INFLECTION #2 (Turns 71-90, ~4 min)

Cover:

• New challenge or opportunity
• How they adapted/pivoted
• Key insight they gained

Guidelines:

• Connect to first inflection
• Show evolution of thinking
• Maya: technical implications
• James: strategic implications

SECTION 5: MESSY MIDDLE (Turns 91-105, ~3 min)

Cover:

• Near-death moment(s)
• Internal conflicts
• What almost broke them

Guidelines:

• Don't glorify - show real struggle
• Include specific stakes ("6 months of runway")
• One host can play devil's advocate

SECTION 6: NOW (Turns 106-120, ~3 min)

Cover:

• Current position and metrics
• Competitive landscape
• Open questions

Guidelines:

• Timeless framing (position, not news)
• Acknowledge uncertainty about future
• Set up takeaways

SECTION 7: TAKEAWAYS (Turns 121-130, ~2-3 min)

Cover:

• Key lesson(s)
• Framework or principle
• Final memorable thought

Guidelines:

• Both hosts contribute insights
• Connect back to hook/central question
• End with forward-looking thought
• Final line should resonate

Format Rules

1. Use <Person1> and <Person2> XML tags
2. Each turn: 2-5 sentences (conversation, not monologue)
3. Add section markers: <!-- SECTION X: NAME -->
4. Include discovery moments in every section
5. NO news references - timeless only
6. Use SPECIFIC facts from research
7. Both hosts should learn during conversation
8. Minimum 130 turns total

Section Marker Format

<!-- SECTION 1: HOOK -->
<Person1>The email arrived at 2 AM...</Person1>
...

<!-- SECTION 2: ORIGIN -->
<Person1>Okay, so let's go back to the beginning...</Person1>
...

Research Material

{{RESEARCH}}

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Selected Hook

{{HOOK}}

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Generate the complete script now. Start with <!-- SECTION 1: HOOK --> followed by <Person1>.