Warm restarts

Status: active as a workstream, with a mixed warm list.

Permanent URL: /warm-restarts/.

Decision (Nov 3, Ittai agreed): KYODAN and Manhattan are not viable to restart. Rachel, Alexandra Vasquez, mining Adrian's network, Claire Carter-Jenn, and James Alley are proposals / UNCONFIRMED (see open questions 5–7).

Warm restarts and intros

Account	Who (from the repo)	Where it stands (Oct 30 plan)	Why re-talk now	The ask	Sender	Nov 3 overlay
MIKUTA	Isis Souza (champion); founders Clemens and Jacqueline; Goda (Head of Growth)	On hold since May 26, "a timing issue not a fit issue"	They moved to Mallorca to hire in-house photographers; the founders have never seen the product	Dead, later or now? If now, a 30-minute session with the founders on the first in-house shoot	Adrian	Not mentioned
Manhattan Inc	Patrick (Operations Manager, final decision-maker); Jorge Cofre	Closed Jun 9; CRE-266 retro in progress. Reopen only after a working barcode-to-Capture One demo	Patrick wanted to see it working and got a strategy walkthrough	A session on one upcoming shoot with Patrick live	Adrian	Decision. Adrian: not viable to reach back out; Ittai agreed. Q7
James Alley	James Alley (production voice, emailed Brandon Feb 6; found in spam)	No reply on record	Described the exact reshoot problem unprompted	Permission to quote; intros to brand founders	Brandon (Oct 30 plan)	UNCONFIRMED. Adrian said he was connecting on LinkedIn and sent a WhatsApp; she had been willing to follow up. Pronouns in the transcript conflict (her vs guys). Q5
KYODAN	Jorge (Montreal, multi-brand group)	Proposal from Apr 8 never answered	Free session replaces the roughly $3,000 ask	A session on their next shoot	Adrian or Brandon	Decision. Adrian: not viable to reach back out; Ittai agreed. Q7
Adrian's network (Spark Projects)	Adrian's agency contacts; Manhattan came this way	Not asked since spring	Aug 29 brief: "the highest-quality source to date"	2 to 3 intros to founder-led fashion brands	Adrian	UNCONFIRMED / proposal. "we can definitely mine my network again"; reconnect with Claire Carter-Jenn (identity not given). Q6, Q7
Alexandra Vasquez	Designer at an Amazon vendor agency, Bogotá	Saw 3 demo videos Jun 4	Warm advocate, not a buyer	1 or 2 founder intros	Adrian	UNCONFIRMED / proposal. "not really viable" (Adrian only). Q7
Rachel	Rachel (Apr 8 demo)	Nurture; willing to pay about $30/mo	She gave a feature wish list	Feedback and one intro	Whoever ran the demo	UNCONFIRMED / proposal. "not really a viable customer anymore" (Adrian only). Q7

Drafts from the Oct 30 Page (still drafts; the Nov 3 call did not approve them):

Hi Isis, hope Mallorca is treating you well and the new studio is taking shape. One honest question so I stop guessing: is Creative Queue something you'd want to pick back up now the in-house team is shooting, still a "later", or off the table? Any answer is fine. If it's a yes, bring your next shoot to a 30-minute session with Clemens and Jacqueline. We'll turn it into a plan together and you keep it either way. Adrian

— W1 · DRAFT · Adrian to Isis

Hi James, your February note only reached me months later (spam), and I've quoted it to the team ever since: "A lot of waste and rework happens when briefs aren't clear, simple, or actionable." Could we quote that, with or without your name? And if a brand founder you shoot for is fighting reshoots, we'd love an intro: they bring one live shoot to a 30-minute session and leave with a plan they keep. Brandon

— W2 · DRAFT · Brandon to James Alley

Hi Patrick, in the spring you wanted to see it working and we gave you a strategy walkthrough. That's on us. Bring one upcoming shoot to a 30-minute session and we'll build the plan with you on your own products. You keep it either way, and there's no proposal attached. Adrian

— W3 · DRAFT · Adrian to Patrick, Manhattan Inc

Hi Jorge, rather than chase our April proposal: bring your next shoot to a free 30-minute session and we'll turn it into one plan with every open question flagged. You keep it either way, no need to switch tools. If live is hard, send the shot list and we'll return the plan in 48 hours.

— W4 · DRAFT · Adrian or Brandon to Jorge, KYODAN

Creative Queue is building for the stretch between a brief that keeps changing and a shot plan a team can run. The founders are offering a free 30-minute session: bring one live shoot, leave with a production plan you keep either way. No need to switch tools.

— I1 · DRAFT · Forwardable intro blurb