BEFORE YOU WRITE THE CHECK, KNOW WHAT YOU’RE BUYING INTO.
You’ve been pitched a business — by a friend, a colleague, or an opportunity that landed in your inbox. The numbers sound good. The story sounds right. But nobody has looked under the hood for you. That’s what this engagement is for.
YOU’RE NOT A VC. YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO THINK LIKE ONE.
Venture capitalists have teams that vet hundreds of deals. You’re evaluating one — and you need to get it right because this is your money, not a fund’s money. We bring the same pattern recognition from 4,000+ businesses to your $25K–$100K decision. We’ll tell you what the business is actually worth, whether the market supports it, what risks are hiding in plain sight, and what terms you should negotiate to protect your investment.
Professionals earning $350K–$650K+ who invest in small businesses, startups, friend-and-family rounds, or partnerships — and want an experienced, objective set of eyes before committing capital. You’re not a VC. You don’t have a diligence team. You have good judgment and you want backup.
INVESTMENT & TIMELINE
$3,500–$7,500
Typical engagement: 1–2 weeks
HOW IT WORKS
You brief us
Share the pitch, the deck, the financials — whatever you have. We’ll also tell you what to ask for if they haven’t provided it.
We dig in
Market viability, competitive landscape, financial health, product defensibility, team assessment. AI-accelerated research, operator-led judgment.
We deliver the read
A clear recommendation: invest, pass, or negotiate different terms. With evidence, not opinions. Plus specific negotiation points and milestone suggestions if we recommend going forward.
You decide with confidence
You’re not guessing anymore. You have an experienced set of eyes telling you what they’d do in your seat.
DELIVERABLES
- Business model and market assessment
- Competitive positioning snapshot
- Financial health check (unit economics, burn, revenue quality)
- Risk flag report
- Go / pass recommendation with reasoning
- Negotiation guidance and suggested term structures
- Milestone-based funding recommendations (if applicable)
This engagement is the right-sized version of our Pre-Acquisition Intelligence work — same methodology, same pattern library, scoped for individual investors making smaller but still significant commitments. If the investment leads to a deeper involvement (board seat, operating role, or eventual acquisition), we scale the engagement accordingly.