Question 1

What is a Signal Check and when should I use it before signing an LOI?

Accepted Answer

A Signal Check is a 24-hour, $1,500–$2,500 read on 3–5 kill-criteria commercial questions: the questions where a bad answer makes everything else irrelevant. 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 single go/conditional/walk deal signal.

Question 2

How is a Signal Check different from a full Commercial Growth Snapshot?

Accepted Answer

A Signal Check is scoped to 3–5 binary kill-criteria questions and runs 24 hours on desk research only. It tells you whether there is an obvious structural problem before you LOI. A full Snapshot goes deeper on one commercial question (acquisition thesis, pricing story, GTM bottleneck, or partner channel) and takes 72 hours. Start with the Signal Check if you are deciding whether to LOI. Escalate to the full Snapshot if the question runs deeper and you need a complete commercial read before committing.

Question 3

What commercial questions does a pre-LOI snapshot answer?

Accepted Answer

A pre-LOI Snapshot is designed for one specific commercial question: Is the pricing story defensible in this market? Is the GTM motion generating real traction, or is it accounting for churn with new sales? Does the acquisition thesis hold against what public signals reveal? It maps what is visible from public data and the context you provide, separates confirmed from assumed, and closes with an IC-ready verdict and repricing triggers if the findings are material.

Question 4

How is a Commercial Growth Snapshot different from commercial due diligence?

Accepted Answer

A full commercial due diligence engagement takes several weeks, involves primary customer research, and typically costs $25,000–$75,000 or more. A Snapshot is a 72-hour outside read on one commercial question, built from public signals and the context you provide. It is what acquirers use before committing to LOI or deeper diligence spend, not a replacement for full CDD.

Question 5

Can a Snapshot replace a quality of earnings review?

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 market signals. They answer different questions and are used together, not interchangeably.

Question 6

What information do I need to provide for an acquisition Snapshot?

Accepted Answer

The minimum is a target name or URL and the specific commercial question you need answered. A CIM, broker summary, or short description of the business accelerates the read. The more context you provide about the deal, the growth thesis, and what you need to decide, the more focused the memo will be.

Question 7

How quickly can I get a commercial read before an LOI deadline?

Accepted Answer

A Signal Check delivers in 24 hours from intake. A full Snapshot delivers in 72 hours from scoping confirmation. If you submit through the intake form, scope is reviewed within one business day. For most pre-LOI reads, the Signal Check is the right starting point. It is fast enough to fit inside any active process.

Question 8

What does an acquisition Snapshot cost?

Accepted Answer

A Signal Check is $1,500–$2,500 for the 24-hour kill-criteria read. A full Commercial Growth Snapshot is $3,000–$7,500 depending on scope and depth. For most pre-LOI reads, the question is narrow enough to fall in the lower part of the Snapshot range.

A commercial read before your next IC meeting.

The read independent sponsors run before writing the LOI.

A 6–10 page decision memo with an IC-ready verdict.

Send the acquisition question.