The Cognitive
Who's ready to move, before you message
Nine yes/no questions Claude answers on every profile in your pool. One score out of 100. Only 80+ get a message today.
The 9 questions
TAP ONE TO SEE HOW IT'S ANSWERED01The workHave they done what this role needs?GATE · 30
Every must-have shows up as something they did, in a job, with dates.
Most must-haves are there. One is missing or only in a skills list.
Title fits, work doesn't. Skip the other 8 questions.
Where Claude looks: job descriptions in their work history. A skill listed with no job behind it doesn't count.
02EquityNear the 4-year mark?10
Private company or startup, 3 yrs 6 mo to 4 yrs 3 mo in the job.
Public company, same range. Stock refreshes make it weaker.
Under 3 years, or well past 4.
Where Claude looks: the start date of the current job. Most startup grants vest over 4 years.
03Company newsLayoffs, a freeze or a reorg?10
Layoffs, a hiring freeze, a merger, or a new CEO in the last 6 months.
Funding last raised 18+ months ago and nothing since.
Just raised, growing, hiring for their team.
Where Claude looks: web search on the company name with "layoffs", "acquired", "funding". US layoffs of 50+ often appear in state WARN notices.
04ManagerDid their boss just leave?10
The person they reported to left or was replaced in the last 6 months.
A new head of their department, own boss unchanged.
Same leadership for a year or more.
Where Claude looks: search the company for the department head's title and see who held it before. If it can't tell, UNKNOWN.
05PromotionSame level for 3+ years?10
Same title 3+ years while people around them moved up.
Same title 2 to 3 years.
Promoted in the last 18 months. They just got what they wanted.
Where Claude looks: title changes inside the same company in their work history.
06Just movedNew job under a year?10
A year or more in the job. This is the answer you want.
Settled, but most people won't leave before a year.
Under 9 months. Note them for next year.
Where Claude looks: start date of the current job.
07ProfileHave they said anything lately?10
"Open to" line, a new headline, or a post about what's next.
New certificate or course in the last 6 months.
Nothing new you can see.
Where Claude looks: the headline, summary and certificates on the profile it has.
08DistanceWithin reach of the office?10
Lives in the metro, or role is remote in their country.
Next metro over, and the role is hybrid 2 days or less.
Would need to move and the role pays no relocation.
Where Claude looks: their location against your office and your hybrid days.
09ScoreAdd it up. 80+ gets a message./ 100
Message today.
Hold. Check again in 30 days.
Not for this role now.
Score
Points
| Question | Yes | Partly |
|---|---|---|
| 01 The work | 30 | 16 |
| 02 Equity | 10 | 5 |
| 03 Company news | 10 | 5 |
| 04 Manager | 10 | 5 |
| 05 Promotion | 10 | 5 |
| 06 Not just moved | 10 | 5 |
| 07 Profile | 10 | 5 |
| 08 Distance | 10 | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
What to do with it
- Can't tell? UNKNOWN = 0. Never guess.
- 01 is NO? Stop. A ready person who can't do the job is still a no.
- Every YES needs one line of proof: a date, a link, a job line.
The prompt
PASTE INTO CLAUDE · FILL THE [BRACKETS]Role: [title], [city], [remote / hybrid N days / onsite]. Relocation: [yes / no]. Must-haves (things they did, not skills): [1], [2], [3]. Find people for this role. Then, for each person, answer these 8 questions. Use only what you can see in their work history, profile or a web search. Answers: YES, PARTLY, NO or UNKNOWN. UNKNOWN scores 0. Never guess. Give one line of proof for every YES or PARTLY (a date, a job line or a link). 01 The work: did they do every must-have in a real job? YES 30, PARTLY 16 (most of them). NO = stop, don't score the rest. 02 Equity: private company, 3 yrs 6 mo to 4 yrs 3 mo in the current job? YES 10. Public company, same range: PARTLY 5. 03 Company news: layoffs, freeze, merger or new CEO in the last 6 months? YES 10. Last funding 18+ months ago: PARTLY 5. 04 Manager: did the person they report to leave in the last 6 months? YES 10. New department head only: PARTLY 5. 05 Promotion: same title 3+ years? YES 10. 2 to 3 years: PARTLY 5. Promoted in the last 18 months: NO. 06 Not just moved: 12+ months in the current job? YES 10. 9 to 12 months: PARTLY 5. 07 Profile: an "open to" line, new headline or a post about what's next? YES 10. New certificate in 6 months: PARTLY 5. 08 Distance: in the metro, or remote in their country? YES 10. Next metro over and hybrid 2 days or less: PARTLY 5. Add the points. Show me a table sorted by score: name | score | the 3 strongest reasons, with proof | what's UNKNOWN Then three lists: 80+ message today, 60 to 79 hold, under 60 not now.
Re-score my hold list for [role] with the same 8 questions. Only check what can change: 02 Equity, 03 Company news, 04 Manager, 06 Not just moved, 07 Profile. Show who crossed 80 and what changed.
Score this one person for [role] with the 8 questions. [paste their profile or link] Show each answer with proof, the total, and the one question that would change the score most if I learned more.
Example: one pool, scored
MOCK EXAMPLE · PEOPLE AND COMPANIES ARE MADE UPSenior Data Engineer · Austin · hybrid 3 days · must-haves: payments data, Spark, owned a pipeline end to end.
First message
THE SCORE DECIDES WHEN · THE WORK DECIDES WHAT YOU SAYHi Dev,
You rebuilt a payments ledger on Spark.
We're hiring a Senior Data Engineer to own billing pipelines. Austin, hybrid, $150K to $175K.
Open to 20 minutes next week?
Hi Maya,
You built the payouts pipeline at your lending company.
We're hiring a Senior Data Engineer for the same kind of work. Austin, hybrid, $150K to $175K.
Worth a 20-minute call?
Let Claude find the pool too
Connect The Cognitive and the prompt above searches for people by the work they did, then scores them. Each person shown costs 1 credit, once.
Start a trial at The Cognitive.
Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector. Paste https://app.thecognitive.io/mcp
Fill the brackets and send. Claude finds the people, then answers the 8 questions.