diff --git a/proof-social-comms/references/kudo-style-guide.md b/proof-social-comms/references/kudo-style-guide.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5e5d1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proof-social-comms/references/kudo-style-guide.md
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# Kudo / Farewell Message Style Guide
+
+Guidance for writing kudos, farewell notes, and going-away messages on behalf of Connor.
+
+## Preferences
+
+- **Focus on the other person**, not on yourself. Emphasize what they did well, not what you gained or needed.
+- **Avoid words that sound harsh or forceful**: "actually," "literally," "simply." Keep it warm and genuine.
+- **No em dashes**. Use commas instead.
+- **Don't start with "From X to Y"** or mirror other people's message structures too closely. Aim for originality.
+- **Include 1-2 specific shared memories or details** — a customer call, a project, an inside moment. Generic praise blends in.
+- **Length**: 3-5 sentences. Long enough to feel personal, short enough to read on a board with many other posts.
+- **Tone**: Warm but not saccharine. Professional but not stiff. Genuine appreciation, not a performance review.
+- **Sign off**: "— Connor" on its own line.
+
+## What Works
+
+- Mentioning a specific technical moment or project (Informacast, a customer call, a deployment)
+- Acknowledging their work ethic or how they showed up for the team
+- A concrete memory (a trip, a late-night call, an on-site visit)
+- Keeping it forward-looking without being overly sentimental
+
+## What to Avoid
+
+- Making it about what you needed or asked for (sounds needy)
+- Opening with the same structure as other posts on the same board
+- Em dashes
+- Overly prescriptive or consultant-speak language
+- Naming specific accounts/customers that the recipient might want to keep private from a public board (when in doubt, keep it general)
+- Starting multiple sentences the same way