Joining the EB2-NIW Race (DIY): F1 to H1B, Robotics/AI Background. Need Checklist & Rec Letter Advice

Hello everyone - I am officially starting my journey toward an EB2-NIW National Interest Waiver petition and would love to tap into the collective wisdom here. I have decided to go the DIY route, so I am trying to be as meticulous as possible with the preparation.

My Background and Profile:

• Education: Master of Science in Robotics and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering.
• Field: Autonomous Vehicle Engineering and AI Practitioner specializing in LLMs, RAG, and data-centric AI.
• Current Status: Currently on an F1 visa, but I just found out my H1B was selected in the recent lottery.
• Experience: Co-founded a foundation, led technical development for AI healthcare chatbots, and have experience in autonomous vehicle validation and sensor characterization. I have published research papers and conducted peer reviews. Recently, I placed in a local AI hackathon for building an agricultural platform.

The Questions:

1. Supporting Documents and Formatting:

For those who successfully self-petitioned, how did you organize your exhibits? Should I be indexing every single citation or media mention in a specific way to make the job of the USCIS officer easier? Should I include a highly detailed Table of Exhibits?

2. Recommendation Letters:

What is the best strategy for the letters of support?

• Should I push recommenders to write in highly technical terms, or should it be plain English enough for a layperson to understand?
• How did you handle the balance between independent versus dependent recommenders? I am aiming for a mix of former professors and industry peers.
• Are there specific keywords or Dhanasar phrasing you found essential to include?
• Is there any place where I can find some sample recommendation letters so that I can insist my recommenders write in that particular format?
• Does the recommendation letter need to be on an official letterhead?

3. The DIY Checklist:

I am building a roadmap for myself. Beyond the I-140, the ETA-9089, and the personal statement, what are the hidden tasks I should check off? For example, drafting a formal Proposed Endeavor Statement or getting foreign degree evaluations.

4. Resources:

Are there any specific golden repositories or communities you would recommend for templates? I have looked at some of the common ones, but I am looking for something that specifically helps with framing AI and Robotics work as having substantial merit and national importance.

5. Transition Strategy:

Since I am moving from F1 to H1B, are there any pitfalls I should watch out for regarding the timing of the NIW filing?

I am planning to document my process to help others later on, so any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!