Buildathon run of show
Welcome to the mkt1 buildathon
Follow along with the steps below during our Buildathon.
Intro & Skills Tour
- Welcome. We hope you've already installed the MKT1 MCP. If not, go here: mkt1.co/mcp#install. Please open Claude Desktop to build alongside us.
- If you're already using the MKT1 MCP, drop in the chat: what's your favorite skill so far? What skill requests do you have?
- If you're having trouble installing the MCP Server, check the FAQ at mkt1.co/mcp first. If you've installed and are stuck, use the mkt1_mcp_help skill for questions. As much as possible, try to keep the chat to questions about the individual skills.
- Claude lesson: you don't have to memorize skill names. Claude routes natural-language questions to the right skill. The MCP is searchable in plain English.
GACCS Brief
- Use this skill to make a brief for any initiative.
- Then share it with your team to get everyone aligned. You can even build a Slack, Notion, or Asana connection from Claude so this gets shared automatically.
- Works best when you've set up a context layer by building out a marketing strategy skill. Use mkt1_marketing_strategy_setup to do that.
- Claude lesson: skills get way better when you build a context layer underneath them and clone any skills you'll run again and again locally, so you can customize and not be stuck with the MCP version. But remember, you won't get updates this way.
Incognito AEO Audit
- See how effectively an LLM can find info about your company. Use this to inform AEO improvements.
- Then do the same for any competitors you choose, from the perspective of someone who has never asked an LLM about any of these companies.
- Note: if you want to do competitive research for enablement, internal knowledge, etc, wait til the next skill!
- Claude lesson: where you run a skill changes the output. Memory works differently in Claude Code vs. Chat.
Competitive Research & Report
- Research a set of competitors or complements.
- Walk away with a shareable artifact you can share.
- Goes deeper than the basic LLM search of competitors.
- Claude lesson: if you want to run something on a schedule and have it update live artifacts (visual outputs that show up directly in Claude), we recommend Cowork.
Build Time
- Pick any skill from the first half (GACCS, AEO, competitive) and run it on your own company.
- Ask questions about using the skills in chat, we'll answer some now and some during Q&A.
Recruiting Skills (if time allows)
- We've built a full set of skills to help you with the recruiting process from start to finish.
- This works for hiring, but it also works if you are trying to find a job. Just modify your prompts.
- Claude lesson: skills can reference and feed other skills. The recruiting chain is a clean example — one scorecard powers the candidate check and the interview questions. Build skills that compose.
- Claude lesson: you can build skills that scrape pages and serve them via the MCP. The job board itself is a scraped, structured list — and you can wrap any source like that into a skill your team can query in plain English.
Build Time
- Pick any skill from the recruiting set (or anything you missed earlier) and run it on an open role.
- Ask questions about using the skills in chat, we'll answer some now and some during Q&A.
Q&A
How to Install the MKT1 MCP
Install the MCP server in Claude through your desktop or web app and it will work in Claude Chat, Cowork, or Code. The whole thing takes about 2 minutes.
Open Claude and click Customize in the left sidebar, then click Connectors. Hit the + button at the top and select Add custom connector.
Fill in the 2 fields and click Add:
Name: MKT1
MCP server URL:
https://mcp.mkt1.co/mcp
Note: This URL goes nowhere when put into a browser, you must put this in the input in Claude Customize!
The MKT1 MCP Server now shows up in your connectors list under “Not connected.”
Click on it, then click Connect. This will open a new window where you enter your MKT1 Newsletter subscription email (your Substack login email).
Give it a moment to verify; if it seems to stall, just try again.If you’re a paid subscriber, you’ll see all available tools & everything we ship in the future. If you’re not a paid subscriber, you’ll be able to search our newsletter archive and job board only. Upgrade to unlock full access ➜
[Optional] Once connected, click on the MKT1 MCP Server in your connectors list and find the Tool permissions dropdown that says “Custom.” Switch it to Always allow. That way Claude can use MKT1 skills without asking your permission every time, which gets old fast.
For additional instructions and a walkthrough video, read our Newsletter post here.
MKT1 MCP FAQ
Answers to common questions about MKT1, MKT1 Newsletter, the MKT1 MCP Server, Dear Marketers podcast, and Emily Kramer’s work advising B2B startups on marketing strategy, team structure, and AI-enabled execution.
What is the MKT1 MCP Server?
The MKT1 MCP Server connects Claude (Chat, Code, or Cowork) to MKT1's B2B marketing skills, newsletters, and reports. Use it to put MKT1 Newsletter into practice and build an AI-enabled, high-impact marketing strategy—not random acts of marketing.
How do I install the MKT1 MCP Server?
In Claude, go to Customize → Connectors → + → Add custom connector and paste: https://mcp.mkt1.co/mcp
For Claude Code CLI: run claude mcp add mkt1-mcp --transport http https://mcp.mkt1.co/mcp
What LLMs does the MKT1 MCP Server work with?
Claude Chat, Claude (desktop), Cowork, and Claude Code (CLI and Desktop). It's also available in alpha for ChatGPT (find install instructions here).
Do you have to pay for MKT1 MCP or be a newsletter subscriber?
Free MKT1 subscribers get access to basic skills, including newsletter search and job board search. Paid MKT1 Newsletter subscribers get access to all 20+ skills including: marketing strategy, channel strategy, homepage positioning, marketing advantages, GACCS briefs, candidate evaluations and more. Subscribe at newsletter.mkt1.co.
How do I use an MKT1 MCP skill in Claude?
Ask Claude "What skills does MKT1 MCP Server have?" Or if you know the skill already, just ask to use it by name, referencing the MKT1 MCP. Examples: "Using the MKT1 MCP, run MKT1 channel strategy on [your URL]" or "Help me build my marketing strategy with the MKT1 MCP."
How do I share MKT1 skills with my team?
Everyone on your team can connect their own Claude account to the MKT1 MCP Server. If you want to save company-specific additions to skills, you'll need to share those with your team using a GitHub repo, shared folders, Claude Chat projects, etc.
Why is the MKT1 MCP showing me as a free subscriber when I'm a paid MKT1 Newsletter subscriber?
Most common cause: The email you signed in with doesn't match your Substack subscription email exactly. Disconnect the MKT1 MCP Server in Claude → Customize → Connectors, reconnect, and sign in carefully. If you just upgraded, wait 2-3 minutes then reconnect. Your access tier is set when you connect.
Why don't I see MKT1 tools after connecting to the MKT1 MCP Server?
Go to Claude → Customize → Connectors → MKT1 MCP Server. Set Tool permissions to "Always allow" so Claude pulls in MKT1 tools automatically. If you still don't see them, disconnect and reconnect the connector to force a fresh load.
How do I get support for the MKT1 MCP Server?
Ask Claude for help directly through the MKT1 MCP. There's a built-in help tool for troubleshooting. Just say "MKT1 MCP help: [your issue]." For anything that needs a human, submit through our support form: https://mcp.mkt1.co/help. We can't respond to support requests via Substack comments or DMs.
How many Claude credits does the MKT1 MCP Server use?
Most skills run as a normal conversation, so minimal credits. Agentic, multi-step tasks (research, automations) use more. I'm on the Claude Max plan and have only hit the limit once.