Getting Started Guide

🚀 I'm brand new to Employer Threader

Start here:

1. Read Philosophy & Approach (5 min) - Understand scaffolding vs automation
2. Watch Introduction video (5 min) - See how tools work together
3. Try a tool in Free Roam mode - Get comfortable with the interface
4. Run a full pitch flow when ready - Use Pitch Mode for real project

First project recommendation: Use The Playbook in Free Roam to generate social concepts for a brand you know well. Low stakes, quick results, builds confidence.

⚡ I need to run a full pitch (new business)

You want: Pitch Mode

1. Read The Pitch Flow (5 min) - Understand the 5-tool cascade
2. Watch The Diagnosis video (10 min) - See the first step
3. Gather your materials:
   • Client brief (PDF or Word doc)
   • Any research, competitor analysis, brand guidelines
   • Budget 90-120 minutes for full flow
4. Launch Employer Threader → Start with The Diagnosis in Pitch Mode
5. Upload all context documents in Step 1
6. Follow the cascade: Diagnosis → Listener → Promise → Brief → Signal

Pro tip: Read Best Practices before starting. Uploading context documents takes 2 minutes but saves 20 minutes of editing generic outputs.

Need help under time pressure? See Workflow Examples for time-boxed scenarios.

🎨 I just need social creative concepts (not full pitch)

You want: The Playbook in Free Roam mode

1. Read The Playbook documentation (10 min)
2. Watch The Playbook video (14 min)
3. Launch The Playbook directly (no need for cascade)
4. Fill in: Brand name, strategic territory, communication objective
5. Optional: Check Recent Social Ads (searches competitor campaigns)
6. Choose format, platform, duration
7. Set creative direction with 5 sliders + executional considerations
8. Generate 3 concepts → Export to PowerPoint

Time: 15-30 minutes from brief to client-ready concepts.

🎯 I want to learn strategic frameworks (no live project yet)

You want: Free Roam exploration + Case Studies

1. Read Philosophy & Approach - Understand the methodology
2. Read The Pitch Flow - Core concept and cascade explained
3. Study case studies:
   • Patagonia - Purpose-led employer brand
   • Spotify - Challenger positioning
   • Tesla - Broad platform thinking
4. Read Uber case study - Actual tool usage example
5. Try tools in Free Roam with practice brands
6. Compare your outputs to case study frameworks

Remember: Case studies are retrospective analysis, not AI outputs. They show strategic scaffolding in action.

👥 I'm setting up Employer Threader for my team

You want: Team onboarding pathway

1. Read Team Management - Add colleagues to workspace
2. Read Best Practices - Especially "Team Collaboration" section
3. Set up your workflow:
   • Designate single "driver" per project session
   • Use save points before major changes
   • Name projects clearly ("Client Name - Round 1", "Client Name - Sweet Spot Territory")
4. Run internal training session:
   • Watch video walkthroughs together (see Video Tutorials)
   • Run practice pitch with familiar brand
   • Review FAQ for common questions
5. Start with real employer brand projects once comfortable

Pro tier: Up to 10 team members. Lite tier: up to 3 users.

🔧 I need to use a specific standalone tool

You want: Direct tool access in Free Roam

Tool	Use Case	Documentation
The Playbook	Employer brand activation concepts	Playbook docs
The Radar	Category landscape analysis	Competitor docs
The Estimator	Project costing and scoping	Estimator docs
The Offer	Innovation territory exploration	Prototyper docs
The Signal	Strategic platform (without full cascade)	Signal docs

Launch Employer Threader → Select tool directly → Work in Free Roam mode.

Day 1: Learn the philosophy (30 min)

• Read Philosophy & Approach
• Read FAQ (especially "Won't all pitches look the same?")
• Watch Introduction video

Day 2: Practice with low-stakes project (60 min)

• Use The Playbook to generate concepts for a brand you know well
• Export to PowerPoint, review quality
• Get comfortable with interface and workflow

Day 3: Study case studies (45 min)

• Read 3 case studies (Dove, Oatly, Nike)
• Read Uber case study (actual tool usage)
• Understand strategic scaffolding vs outputs

Day 4: Watch tool videos (60 min)

• Watch Diagnosis, Listener, Promise videos
• See full workflow demonstrated
• Note best practices

Day 5: Run full practice pitch (90 min)

• Choose a familiar brand or past pitch
• Run full Pitch Mode: Diagnosis → Listener → Promise → Brief → Signal
• Export, review, refine in PowerPoint
• Compare to your usual pitch development process

Lite Users

You have access to four standalone tools:

Tool	What It Does	Time
The Signal	Generate strategic platforms and creative territories	15-20 min
The Playbook	Create employer brand activation concepts by platform	10-15 min
The Radar	Map employer messaging conventions and find white space	15-20 min
The Evidence	Reverse-engineer and stress-test existing strategies	15-20 min

Pro Users

Use the Pitch Flow to build your golden thread:

Each step locks a decision. Data cascades forward automatically. By the end, you have your Golden Thread.