cargo-quickstart

The saved excerpt is a snapshot from when this skill was listed. The external source remains the complete and most current version.

---
name: cargo-quickstart
description: "Guided first-run demo for Cargo — one persona question to 25 real leads with a cost receipt in under two minutes, ending by saving the pull as a recurring play. Triggers: \"show me what Cargo can do\", \"give me a demo\", \"take me on a tour\", \"quickstart\", \"getting started with Cargo\", \"I just installed Cargo\", \"my workspace is empty\", \"does this actually work\". Skip when: the user has a real job to run (build a list, enrich a CSV, find emails) — use cargo-gtm; when they want CLI reference or routing — use the cargo router skill."
version: "1.0.4"
compatibility: Requires @cargo-ai/cli (npm). Sign in or create an account with `cargo-ai login --email` (emailed code, no browser), `--oauth`, or an API token
homepage: https://github.com/getcargohq/cargo-skills
metadata:
  author: getcargo
  openclaw:
    requires:
      bins:
        - cargo-ai
    install:
      - kind: node
        package: "@cargo-ai/cli@latest"
        bins:
          - cargo-ai
    homepage: https://github.com/getcargohq/cargo-skills
---

# Cargo Quickstart — first value in two minutes

One guided demo: pull ~25 fresh leads matching a buyer persona the user picks, show the cost receipt, then save the pull as a recurring play. The point is not the list — it's that in minute 3 the user owns a running system, not a one-off result.

**A new account starts with 100 free credits — no card.** This demo spends about **5** of them. Say that out loud before the first paid call ("this costs about 5 of your 100 free credits"): it converts the moment from *a purchase decision* into *a look around*, which is the whole job of a quickstart. Never let a new user think the demo is why they'd run out.

## Bootstrap

Already signed in (`cargo-ai whoami` returns a workspace)? Skip to the next section.

```bash
npm install -g @cargo-ai/cli            # no global install? prefix every command with `npx @cargo-ai/cli`
cargo-ai login --email [email protected]  # emailed code, no browser; creates the account on first use
                                        # alternatives: --oauth (browser) · --token <api-token> (CI)
cargo-ai whoami                         # confirm the active workspace before any write
```

Every command prints JSON to stdout; failures exit non-zero with `{"errorMessage": "..."}`. Anything that creates a run or a batch is async — pass `--wait-until-finished` or poll the matching `get`. When the full skill bundle is installed, [`../cargo/references/prerequisites.md`](../cargo/references/prerequisites.md) adds the CLI version pin, token scopes, and the admin-only surface.

## The one question

Ask exactly **one** question before doing anything:

> **"Who do you sell to?"** (a persona in a few words — e.g. "Heads of RevOps at mid-market SaaS")

Everything else — provider, filters, limits — you decide. Don't ask about output format, volume, or providers; defaults below.

## Speed budget — HARD RULES

The demo has a two-minute budget from answer to deliverable. On the fast path:

- **No discovery detours.** Do not run `cargo-ai --version`, `cargo-ai whoami`, `connection connector list`, or any exploratory command first. Auth problems will surface as errors on the first real call — handle them then.
- **One command block per step**, no narration between commands.
- **Paid work is capped at ~5 credits total.** The demo uses LinkedIn-native people search (`salesNavigator.searchLeads`, 0.2/record → 25 records ≈ 5 credits). Nothing else paid runs without asking.
- **Never dead-end.** Every step has a fallback (ladder below). If a rung fails, drop one rung silently and keep moving.

## Fast path

Translate the persona into a `searchLeads` filter (quote the exact title phrase in `keywords`; a bare keyword matches loosely and pollutes the page) and run:

```bash
# 1. Execute — returns a run object; note run.uuid and run.workflowUuid.
#    searchLeads returns a 25-row page minimum (limit below 25 still bills 25 × 0.2 = 5 credits