The heat index answers one question: is this candidate ready to be invited? It isn't a tracker of every step in the journey. It looks across all of the candidate's calls, not just the latest one. So on every call Claude reads the new transcript, the earlier call notes on their record (which now hold the full transcripts), and the current heat index on their contact, then updates it.
- 1PLAUDRead the new call
The full transcript, as for the call note.
- 2HUBSPOTRead what's already known
Earlier call notes on the candidate's record, and the current heat index values on their contact.
- 3CLAUDEJudge how ready they are to sign
Evidence of commitment, money, decision makers, homework, timing and legal, checked against the brand's must-haves, then a score from 1 to 10.
- 4HUBSPOTUpdate the contact, once a day
Every heat index column, written to its own contact property, plus a short heat index note on the contact so you can see what changed. No review step: it's written straight away, and Monique sees every change in the daily check.
Edited by a person? If someone changed a heat index field by hand since Claude last did, Claude leaves it alone and puts its suggestion in the call note instead. Hand-written updates like "Invited to October 28 on 9/7, no response" are never overwritten. - 5CLAUDEReady to invite, every day
Monique's daily check email lists everyone at 8 or above who isn't invited or registered yet, then everyone at 7 who is close, each with the recommendation and the one thing left. That's how nobody ready slips through.
Exactly the columns in your heat index sheet, on the candidate's contact. Claude creates these properties the first time it runs, through Monique's HubSpot connection, in a group called "Discovery Day Heat Index". Your sheets show the kind of detail Claude writes in each one.
| Heat index column | HubSpot contact property | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Brand brand, already exists | Dropdown |
| Candidate | The contact itself | |
| Heat Index | Heat Index heat_index | Number, 1 to 10 |
| Readiness Summary | Readiness Summary readiness_summary | Long text |
| Latest Meeting | Latest Meeting latest_meeting | Date |
| Assessment Date | Assessment Date assessment_date | Date |
| Invitation Recommendation | Invitation Recommendation invitation_recommendation | Text, written like your sheet, e.g. "Hold: validation and timeline" |
| Remaining Steps | Remaining Steps remaining_steps | Long text |
Each update also adds a short heat index note on the contact, so you can see what changed and when. If a candidate ever looks at two brands at once, the contact holds the score for the brand of their latest call.
Being far through the process doesn't on its own make someone ready. Claude scores the evidence that they're invested and ready to sign.
| Signal | Ready looks like | Not ready looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Commitment | Wants to go ahead with this brand, has stopped comparing, asks about signing, territory and opening | Still comparing brands, "need more time", a job or life change still undecided |
| Money | Own capital stated, funding consultation done, pre-approval or a clear route | Funding talks not started, unclear what they can put in, worried about the exposure |
| Decision makers | Spouse, partners or family on board and on the calls | Someone who signs or funds it isn't convinced or isn't involved |
| Homework | The brand's must-haves done, has talked to owners, has a view on the numbers | Must-haves missing, no owner conversations, no pro forma |
| Timing | Wants a specific Discovery Day and would sign soon after, area chosen | No timeline, or a vague one months out |
| Legal | Franchise attorney lined up | No attorney yet (common, and not on its own a reason to hold) |
1 to 10, as in your sheets.
| Score | What it means | From your sheets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Exploring. Not yet invested. | None at this level yet |
| 4 to 5 | Interested, but several signals missing. Not close to an invite. | Whitney Boateng, Abi Akinosho, Vipul Chopra |
| 6 | Serious, with real gaps in money, commitment, decision makers or timing. | Tarek Hocine, Milena Santos, Dave Bernhard |
| 7 | Close. One or two things between them and an invite. Watch closely. | Kalpana Pandey, Maria Gonzalez, Samad Ali |
| 8 | Ready to invite, subject to a final confirmation. | Cody Waring, Ankur Masurkar, Darrin Thomson |
| 9 | Ready now, invited or registered, money and decision makers in place. | Nathan Morris |
| 10 | Ready now with nothing open. | None at this level yet |
Another Nine
- Founders Intro with the CEO and COO is required. Without it, 7 at most and no invite
- Usually done too: the FDD Review and a live validation call (Wednesdays 4ET)
- Discovery Days, Cincinnati: 21–22 Oct, 11–12 Nov, 9–10 Dec
Menchie's
- FDD Review, a store visit, and owner validation (a validation call or a direct owner conversation). If any is missing, 7 at most
- Discovery Days, Sherman Oaks: 28 Oct, 9 Dec, 20 Jan
The third brand gets its own must-haves from its roadmap and heat index once Monique adds them. Discovery Day dates need updating as new ones are set.
Claude read all five of Tom's calls with Cody (10 Jul intro, 17 Jul deep dive, 29 Jul FDD review, 21 Aug, 6 Oct) and scored him without looking at the sheet. Side by side with the sheet:
8 Prepare invitation; confirm final owner conversations
8 Prepare invitation; confirm final diligence
Decided
- Your sheet's columns become contact properties, created by Claude through Monique's HubSpot connection
- Updated after every candidate call, from all of that candidate's calls
- The score is about one thing: is the candidate ready to be invited
- Scoring starts only once the FDD Review meeting is done
- Heat index updated once a day: 8pm Eastern Monday to Friday, 2pm Saturday. Call notes and tasks stay hourly
- Daily check lists everyone ready to invite, and everyone close
- Invitation Recommendation written the way your sheet does it
- Hand edits are never overwritten
- No review step for the heat index: written straight away, every change listed in the daily check
To add
- The third brand's roadmap and heat index sheet. Until then its calls get a note and tasks but no heat index
- New Discovery Day dates as they're set