Speaking

Use this for Peter's speaking-opportunity workflow.

Sources

• Strategy (read first, always): /Users/steipete/Projects/manager/CONFERENCES.md — standing decisions (e.g. no TED, no paid talks), 2027 budget, anchor plan, triage tiers.
• Repo: /Users/steipete/Projects/conferences
• Sheet: Peter Steinberger Inbounds
• Sheet URL: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dNt5EjgfgvPoAx5fa-igk681gniCkzL-IZ2FmjFl8fs/edit?gid=0#gid=0
• Main tab: Invitations
• Main brief: /Users/steipete/Projects/conferences/conference-opportunities.md
• One note per opportunity: /Users/steipete/Projects/conferences/opportunities/NNN-slug.md

Use gog first for Google data when available:

gog gmail search 'speaker OR keynote OR panel OR fireside OR conference OR summit after:2026-01-01' --json --no-input
gog gmail read <thread-or-message-id> --json --no-input
gog calendar events primary --time-min 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z --time-max 2026-12-31T23:59:59Z --json --no-input
gog sheets get 1dNt5EjgfgvPoAx5fa-igk681gniCkzL-IZ2FmjFl8fs 'Invitations!A1:Q110' --json --no-input

Scope

Track:

• conferences, summits, retreats, keynotes, panels, firesides, workshops, university talks, high-signal private rooms
• calendar holds that look like speaking commitments
• email invites where Peter expressed interest, declined, or needs to respond

Do not track in the conference list:

• podcasts
• press interviews
• generic networking dinners without a speaking/event ask
• vague intro calls with no event or audience

Talks and firesides are welcome. Do not delete them just because they are not classic conferences.

Evaluation

Score with these heuristics:

• Audience leverage: developers, founders, AI researchers, senior enterprise buyers/advisors, policy/media only if strategic.
• Role quality: keynote/main stage/fireside > panel > passive attendance.
• Proof: verified email thread, named organizer, calendar invite, public event page, agenda, attendee size.
• Fit: OpenClaw, agents, developer tools, AI-native software, open source, founder story, OpenAI-aligned narrative.
• Logistics: date conflicts, visa, travel, time zone, prep burden, travel/hospitality coverage.
• Risk: platform politics, employer comms approval, geopolitical/compliance concerns, weak organizer quality.

Priority language:

• accept: committed or clearly worth doing.
• strong consider: high value but needs missing logistics/details.
• review: plausible, needs more info.
• pass: declined, stale, low leverage, bad fit, or user explicitly said no.

Verification

Before changing status:

1. Search Gmail for the event name, organizer, contact email, and likely aliases.
2. Read the full thread, not just snippets.
3. Check Google Calendar for matching holds/invites.
4. Treat calendar-only holds as unverified unless email supports them.
5. Preserve Peter corrections: OMR/ORM is not a commitment; do not mark accepted unless Peter explicitly reverses that.

Useful status meanings:

• CALENDARED: calendar plus email evidence, or accepted invite.
• INBOX: needs response or still open.
• INBOX / CALENDAR HOLD: calendar hold exists, but details still need confirmation.
• PASS: do not pursue.
• Done: declined, stale, or already passed.

Repo Notes

Per-opportunity files should stay short and structured:

# Event Name

- Number: N
- Index: [Conference Opportunities Brief](../conference-opportunities.md)

## Brief

- Date/location:
- Host/ask:
- Format:
- Audience/scale:
- Impact:
- Fit:
- Risks:
- Status:
- Recommendation:
- Sources:

When adding an opportunity:

1. Pick next number from opportunities/*.md.
2. Add opportunities/NNN-slug.md.
3. Add the link to conference-opportunities.md.
4. Update the shortlist only if it changes prioritization.
5. Keep podcasts and press out.

Sheet Sync

Use the sheet headers from Invitations!A1:Q1:

Invitation Name, Primary Category, Recommendation, Date, Location, Subcategory, Geography, Recommended Rep, Response Status, Status, Outlet / Event, Contact Name, Contact Email, Topic / Subject, Notes, Source File, From Raw

Sync rules:

• Main tab should contain conference/speaking opportunities only.
• Primary Category can remain Conference as the broad bucket, while Subcategory explains keynote/panel/fireside/talk/retreat.
• Preserve contact names/emails from existing rows when possible.
• Overwrite stale podcast/press rows if they are present in Invitations.
• After writing, re-read the range and verify row count plus no podcast/press name hits.

Use gog sheets update ... --values-json for bulk updates. Avoid one-cell micro-edits.