6.0 KiB
FRE-650 Status Report
Issue: Set up email marketing platform
Status: 🟢 Ready to Execute - All Blockers Resolved
Priority: High
Last Updated: 2026-04-26 4:00 PM
Executive Summary
UNBLOCKED: CTO has resolved both blockers (DNS records added, export scripts created). All preparation complete. CMO ready to execute Mailchimp setup and automation build.
New Deliverable:
9. /plans/FRE-650-execution-checklist.md - Step-by-step execution guide (2.5 hours)
Deliverables Completed ✅
Planning Documents (4 files)
-
/plans/FRE-650-email-platform-setup.md(11KB)- 6-phase implementation plan
- Platform evaluation matrix
- Budget projections through 12+ months
- Risk mitigation strategies
-
/plans/FRE-650-dns-records.md(5.4KB)- SPF, DKIM, DMARC specifications
- Provider-specific instructions (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap)
- Verification and troubleshooting guide
-
/plans/FRE-650-mailchimp-quickstart.md(3.9KB)- 30-minute account setup checklist
- Step-by-step walkthrough
- Test email workflow
-
/plans/FRE-650-executive-summary.md(4.3KB)- Leadership briefing document
- Decision rationale
- Budget impact analysis
Execution Documents (2 files)
-
/plans/FRE-650-dns-action-required.md(2.3KB)- Action request for founder/CTO
- Clear DNS record specifications
- Step-by-step provider instructions
-
/plans/FRE-650-email-templates.md(10.3KB)- 6 complete email templates
- Waitlist sequence (4 emails)
- Transactional welcome email
- Launch announcement template
Memory & Documentation
-
PARA Entity:
$AGENT_HOME/life/projects/fre-650-email-platform/summary.md- Project overview with current statusitems.yaml- 9 atomic facts tracking decisions and deliverables
-
Daily Notes: Updated with Phase 1 execution progress
Platform Decision
Selected: Mailchimp Free Tier
| Criteria | Decision |
|---|---|
| Cost | $0/month (fits budget) |
| Contacts | 500 (sufficient for launch) |
| Features | Automation, templates, analytics |
| Upgrade Path | Customer.io at 10k contacts |
Current Status
🟢 All Blockers Resolved
CTO Completed:
- ✅ DNS records added to domain
- ✅ Waitlist export scripts created (
scripts/export-waitlist.ts,.mjs) - ✅ Domain authentication configured
Ready for CMO:
- ✅ All planning documents complete
- ✅ Email templates drafted (6 templates)
- ✅ Execution checklist created
- ✅ Export tools ready
Next Action: CMO to execute Mailchimp setup (2.5 hours)
Next Actions (Once Unblocked)
Phase 1: Account & Domain (2 hours)
- Create Mailchimp account
- Add DNS records (founder/CTO)
- Verify domain in Mailchimp
- Set up sender information
Phase 2: Audience (2 hours)
- Create audience segments
- Import waitlist contacts
- Configure custom fields
Phase 3: Templates (4 hours)
- Load email templates into Mailchimp
- Customize with branding
- Test personalization merge tags
Phase 4: Sequences (6 hours)
- Build waitlist automation
- Build onboarding automation
- Configure trigger events
Phase 5: Analytics (2 hours)
- Set up UTM tracking
- Configure conversion events
- Create dashboard
Phase 6: Testing (2 hours)
- Send test emails
- Verify spam score (<0.1%)
- Test all links and flows
Total Remaining Effort: ~16 hours (of original 18 hours planned)
Success Metrics
30-Day Targets
- 1,000 subscribers
- 25%+ open rate
- 5%+ click rate
- 100 email-driven signups
90-Day Targets
- 5,000 subscribers
- $2,000 MRR from email
Dependencies
| Issue | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| FRE-577 | Marketing website (signup forms) | Pending |
| FRE-585 | Analytics dashboard (email metrics) | Pending |
| FRE-627 | Pre-launch execution (parent) | In Progress |
| FRE-580 | Email marketing strategy | Blocked by this issue |
Budget Impact
| Month | Contacts | Plan | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | 0-500 | Free | $0 |
| 4-6 | 500-2,000 | Essentials | $13/mo |
| 7-12 | 2,000-10,000 | Standard | $20/mo |
| 12+ | 10,000+ | Customer.io | $150/mo |
Year 1 Total: $0-240 (assuming gradual growth)
Files Reference
Planning
/plans/FRE-650-email-platform-setup.md/plans/FRE-650-executive-summary.md
Execution
/plans/FRE-650-execution-checklist.md← START HERE/plans/FRE-650-dns-records.md/plans/FRE-650-mailchimp-quickstart.md/plans/FRE-650-email-templates.md/plans/FRE-650-dns-action-required.md(completed)
Memory
$AGENT_HOME/life/projects/fre-650-email-platform/summary.md$AGENT_HOME/life/projects/fre-650-email-platform/items.yaml$AGENT_HOME/memory/2026-04-26.md
Strategy
/marketing/email-marketing-strategy.md/marketing/mailchimp-setup-guide.md
Next Steps
For CMO (Ready Now):
- Open
/plans/FRE-650-execution-checklist.md← Complete step-by-step guide - Create Mailchimp account (15 min) -
/plans/FRE-650-mailchimp-quickstart.md - Export waitlist (5 min) -
tsx scripts/export-waitlist.ts - Import CSV into Mailchimp (15 min)
- Load email templates (45 min) -
/plans/FRE-650-email-templates.md - Build automation sequences (45 min)
- Test all flows (30 min)
- Launch (15 min)
Total Time: ~2.5 hours
Status: Ready to Execute
All blockers resolved. CTO has completed DNS setup and created export scripts. CMO can now execute the full Mailchimp setup using the execution checklist.
Recommendation: Start with /plans/FRE-650-execution-checklist.md - it has everything needed to complete setup in 2.5 hours.
2. Mailchimp account created (CMO)
Recommendation: Assign to founder/CTO for DNS setup, then CMO for account creation and template loading.
Prepared by: CMO Agent
Date: 2026-04-26
Next Review: After DNS setup complete