Question 1

What is a Signal Check?

Accepted Answer

A Signal Check is a 24-hour, $1,500–$2,500 look at 3–5 kill-criteria commercial questions before you sign an LOI. It is designed for the moment before exclusivity, when full diligence is too slow and too expensive, but signing on incomplete information is how buyers end up inside a bad deal. The output is a 3–4 page memo with a Red/Yellow/Green verdict per question and a go/conditional/walk deal signal.

Question 2

What is a Commercial Growth Snapshot?

Accepted Answer

A Commercial Growth Snapshot is a 72-hour outside look at one commercial question. It maps public market signals, competitor positioning, pricing clues, GTM bottlenecks, partner questions, and red flags, and closes with a clear verdict and repricing guidance if the findings are material.

Question 3

How long does this take?

Accepted Answer

A Signal Check delivers in 24 hours for $1,500–$2,500. A full Commercial Growth Snapshot delivers in 72 hours for $3,000–$7,500. Start with the Signal Check if you are deciding whether to LOI. Escalate to the full Snapshot if the question runs deeper or you are already in exclusivity.

Question 4

What does a Commercial Growth Snapshot cost?

Accepted Answer

Snapshots are priced at $3,000–$7,500 depending on the scope and depth of the question. Pricing is confirmed after a brief scoping conversation.

Question 5

What questions can a Snapshot answer?

Accepted Answer

A Snapshot works for one specific commercial question: Is this pricing story defensible? Does the GTM motion have real traction? Is this acquisition thesis built on signals that will hold post-close? Is this partner channel worth building? It works best when the question is narrow enough to answer with public data and the context you provide.

Question 6

What is the difference between a Snapshot and a full market study?

Accepted Answer

A full market study runs over several weeks and costs tens of thousands of dollars. A Snapshot addresses one specific question in 72 hours for a fraction of the cost. It is the right tool when you need a clear outside take before a decision, not a comprehensive research program.

Question 7

Can a Snapshot replace quality of earnings diligence?

Accepted Answer

No. Quality of Earnings looks backward at whether reported earnings are clean and recurring. A Snapshot looks forward at whether the commercial growth story holds: whether the pricing, GTM motion, or acquisition thesis is grounded in real signals. They answer different questions and are used together, not interchangeably.

Question 8

What does a Snapshot not cover?

Accepted Answer

A Snapshot does not replace formal due diligence, quality of earnings, legal review, technical diligence, or a full customer research program. It does not include primary customer interviews, proprietary data, or financial modeling. It is a bounded outside perspective based on public signals and provided context.

Question 9

Who is a Snapshot for?

Accepted Answer

Snapshots are used by searchers and independent sponsors validating an acquisition thesis before LOI, industrial founders stress-testing pricing or GTM assumptions, and technical B2B operators diagnosing a channel or partner motion. The shared profile is a live decision that benefits from an outside perspective.

Question 10

What happens after I submit a question?

Accepted Answer

After you submit a question through the intake form, we review the scope and follow up within one business day. If the question fits the Snapshot format, we confirm scope and pricing, then deliver the memo within 72 hours of scoping confirmation.

Question 11

Is this formal due diligence?

Accepted Answer

No. It is not formal due diligence, not a quality of earnings review, and not an investment recommendation. It is a bounded commercial framing based on public data and buyer-provided context.

Question 12

Is a Commercial Growth Snapshot the same as commercial due diligence?

Accepted Answer

A Commercial Growth Snapshot occupies the same functional space as commercial due diligence but at a different price point and scope. Traditional commercial due diligence from a strategy firm runs $25,000–$75,000 and takes several weeks. A Snapshot answers one specific commercial question in 72 hours for $3,000–$7,500. For pre-LOI validation, smaller deals, or budget-constrained situations where full CDD is too slow or too expensive, a Snapshot delivers the most decision-relevant outside perspective available.

Question 13

Who uses commercial due diligence snapshots?

Accepted Answer

Snapshots are most commonly used by independent sponsors validating an acquisition thesis before LOI, self-funded searchers stress-testing the growth story before committing capital, and industrial founders who need an outside take before a pricing change, market entry, or board presentation. The shared profile is a live decision where the cost of being wrong exceeds the cost of the Snapshot.

An outside take on the upside.

An outside take before you scale.

An outside take before you partner.

Most commercial questions don't have obvious answers.