Quick checklist: 8 signals in 60 seconds
Lesson 8 explained the 8 signals in depth. This lesson turns them into an operational tool: a checklist you run in 60 seconds on every profile, without thinking. The goal of Stage 2 isn't to 'understand the signals' — it's to qualify a profile faster than a kettle boils.
The checklist (order matters — it filters fastest)
1. Engagement rate — open the 3 latest posts, estimate likes+comments against followers; below the threshold — stop. 2. Commerce intent — product tags / 'link in bio' / reviews? No — stop. 3. Niche — readable as one of the five across 9 posts? Blurry — flag. 4. Size — 500–100K? Out of range — flag. 5. Consistency — posted this week and last? A month of silence — flag. 6. Quality floor — product visible, light decent? Unreadable — flag. 7. Authenticity — no bought followers, no bot comments? Suspicious — stop. 8. Reachability — DMs open, contact present? Closed — stop.
The stop-vs-flag logic
Stop (1, 2, 7, 8) — if failed, you don't take the profile, don't spend more time. Flag (3, 4, 5, 6) — if failed, the profile isn't ideal, but you can take it if the rest is strong. This prioritisation is what gives you 60 seconds: you don't go through all 8 every time — you stop at the first 'stop'.
Where to record it
A simple table: profile · 8 ticks · verdict (in / out). Google Sheets, Notion, a notebook — doesn't matter. What matters is that you have a recorded pipeline, not 'I remember messaging someone'.
When Scout AI arrives
When Scout AI ships (Lesson 8), it will pre-fill this checklist automatically. But the skill of running it by hand stays valuable: you'll double-check the AI quickly, rather than blindly accepting its score.
The speed benchmark
An experienced scout qualifies a profile in 45–60 seconds. A beginner takes 3–4 minutes, because they look at everything without priority. The difference isn't 'visual experience' — it's the order of going through the checklist.
Key takeaway: The 8 signals from Lesson 8 plus the 'stop before flag' order = 60 seconds per profile. Qualification speed is what separates a 200-strong pipeline from a 5-strong short-list.
Next step: Build the checklist table. Run 10 profiles through it back-to-back with a timer. By the tenth you'll be inside a minute — and that's your working pace for Stage 3.
- Learning outcome
- You can qualify a profile against the 8 signals in 60 seconds or less using the stop-vs-flag order.
- Action in product
- Build the checklist table and run 10 profiles through it with a timer.
- Success metric
- Median qualification time ≤ 60 sec.
- Unlock / Reward
- Stage 3 — Inviting & Onboarding.
- Format
- Checklist + video.