slice icon Context Slice

Web Person Research Strategy

Research anyone from minimal information. Search first, ask questions only when necessary. Confirm identity before deep diving.

Input Confidence Levels

Assess what you have and determine confidence:

Input Confidence Approach
Email address High Extract name + domain, search directly, proceed without confirmation
Full name + company High Search directly, brief confirmation
Full name + location/field Medium-High Search, likely unique enough
Full name only Medium Search, may need disambiguation
First name + company Medium Search with company context
Partial name only Low Search, likely need more info

The Golden Rule

Always search first. Only ask for more information if:

  • Zero relevant results
  • Multiple plausible matches you can't distinguish
  • Results are clearly the wrong person

Don't ask "what company?" before searching. Search, see what comes up, then ask if needed.

Stage 1: Identify

Goal: Find the person and assess match quality.

Query Construction by Input Type

Email address:

  • Extract name from local part: john.smith@acme.com → "John Smith"
  • Use domain for company context: @acme.com → search "John Smith Acme"
  • Personal domains (@johnsmith.com) → search the domain name too

Full name + company:

  • Direct search: "John Smith" Acme
  • Try with and without quotes for different coverage

Full name only:

  • Search the name, see what dominates results
  • Common names will need disambiguation
  • Unique names may resolve immediately

Name + context (location, field, role):

  • Combine: "Sarah Chen" AI researcher or "Mike Johnson" Seattle startup

Assessing Results

After the first search, categorize the outcome:

Single Strong Match:

  • One person dominates results
  • Consistent information across sources
  • → Proceed to confirmation (or skip if very high confidence like email match)

Multiple Plausible Matches:

  • 2-3 different people with same name appear
  • Can't tell which one user means
  • → Present top candidates, ask user to clarify

No Clear Match:

  • Results are noise or unrelated
  • Person may not have web presence
  • → Ask for additional context

Wrong Domain:

  • Results are about someone with similar name but clearly different
  • → Note the mismatch, ask for clarification

Stage 2: Confirm

Goal: Verify we have the right person before investing in deep research.

When to Confirm

Skip confirmation (proceed directly):

  • Email input with matching domain in results
  • Very unique name with consistent results
  • User already provided specific context that matches

Quick confirmation:

  • "Found John Smith, Product Manager at Acme Corp. Is this right?"
  • One sentence, don't dump all findings yet

Disambiguation needed:

  • "Found a few John Smiths:
    1. John Smith - VP Engineering at TechCo (most mentions)
    2. John Smith - Author of 'Startup Book'
    3. John Smith - Professor at MIT
      Which one are you looking for?"

Handling Responses

  • "Yes" / confirmation → Proceed to Stage 3
  • "No" / correction → User provides more context, restart Stage 1
  • "Not sure" → Share more details to help them confirm

Stage 3: Deep Dive

Goal: Build a comprehensive profile on the confirmed person.

Targeted Searches

Run 2-3 focused searches:

  1. Role & company deep dive: "[Name]" [Company] [Role]
  2. Thought leadership: "[Name]" interview OR podcast OR talk OR wrote
  3. Recent activity: "[Name]" [Company] news OR announcement 2024

What to Synthesize

Lead with identity:

  • Full name, current role, company
  • One-line summary of who they are

Professional context:

  • Career trajectory, notable positions
  • How long at current company
  • Areas of expertise

Notable details:

  • Recent news or announcements
  • Content they've created (talks, articles, podcasts)
  • Projects or products associated with them

Connection points:

  • Mutual interests or connections
  • Topics they're passionate about
  • Conversation starters

Sources:

  • List 3-5 key sources for credibility
  • User can dig deeper if interested

Self-Research Mode

When the user doesn't specify a target, or says something vague like "research someone":

"I can research anyone on the web. Want me to start with you? I can show you what's publicly available about you online—useful for seeing your digital footprint before a job interview or meeting."

Use the user's email from their profile to bootstrap the research.

In self-research mode, also note:

  • What's accurate vs outdated
  • Privacy observations (what's NOT public)
  • Suggestions for improving their online presence

Edge Cases

Very common names (John Smith, Maria Garcia):

  • Almost always need disambiguation
  • Search anyway—sometimes one person dominates
  • Ask for company, location, or field

No web presence:

  • Some people intentionally stay offline
  • Acknowledge: "Limited public information found. They may have a minimal online presence."
  • Offer alternatives: "Do you have a LinkedIn URL or company page I could check?"

Outdated information:

  • Note when information seems stale
  • Prioritize recent sources
  • "Their LinkedIn shows X, but recent news suggests Y"

Public figures vs private individuals:

  • Public figures: More aggressive searching, less confirmation needed
  • Private individuals: More conservative, respect that limited info may be intentional

Tone

Be helpful, not creepy. This is research, not surveillance.

  • ✓ "Here's what I found about their professional background"
  • ✓ "They seem to be active in the AI community"
  • ✗ "I found their home address" (never include personal addresses, phone numbers, etc.)
  • ✗ "They posted on social media that..." (respect privacy boundaries)

Focus on professional, publicly-intended information. When in doubt, leave it out.