Methodology
Every engagement runs through the same five-stage process. Stages are not skipped, even on small notes. The structure exists because decisions made on partial information are the most expensive ones a brand can make, and because consistency is what allows a written deliverable to mean the same thing on a $500 research note as it does on a $20,000 diligence package.
Intake & NDA
Before any substantive conversation, we execute a mutual non-disclosure agreement. The intake call that follows is scheduled for thirty minutes and exists to scope the question precisely — what decision is in front of the client, what information would change the answer, and what the client expects to do with the deliverable once it lands.
Intake closes with a written engagement letter that states the fixed fee, the deliverable, the timeline, and the conflicts position. If the question is one we cannot usefully answer, or one where our independence would be compromised, we say so in writing. Refusal-to-scope is an output of this stage and is given without charge.
Source curation
Once an engagement is signed, we begin by assembling the primary record. That typically includes public regulatory filings, third-party certificates of analysis where the client is willing to share them, manufacturing audit summaries, supplier registries, prior published positions, and a market scan of comparable products and adjacent operators.
Every source we read is logged in the deliverable with a citation a third party can verify. We do not paraphrase unsourced claims into the report. If a source cannot be obtained or verified, that absence is itself documented.
Direct verification
Public-record review is necessary but rarely sufficient. We contact suppliers, regulatory bodies, manufacturers, and named operators directly, under our own name and in our own voice. We do not represent the client during these conversations and we disclose that we are gathering information for a written advisory engagement.
Findings from direct verification are documented verbatim where possible — date of contact, name and role of the person who responded, exact wording of the response. When a contact declines to comment or fails to respond after two outreach attempts, that fact is also recorded.
Written deliverable
Every engagement closes with a written document. The format depends on the engagement type — a research note runs five to fifteen pages, a diligence package runs fifteen to forty pages, and a retainer monthly brief runs three to eight pages. Each format follows the same structure: question, sources, findings, areas of remaining uncertainty, and recommendation.
We do not issue verbal-only conclusions, and we do not deliver findings on a slide deck without an accompanying written document. The written record is the deliverable. The walkthrough call exists to discuss it, not to replace it.
Follow-up window
Every fixed-fee engagement includes a two-week clarification window after delivery. During that window, the client can ask questions about the deliverable, request explanation of any finding, and surface new information that may have arrived after delivery. Clarifications that materially change a finding are issued as a written addendum at no additional fee.
Retainer clients have ongoing asynchronous access by email and a standing monthly brief, which converts the follow-up window into a continuous relationship rather than a discrete one.
Conflicts policy
We do not accept engagements where we have an existing financial relationship with the vendor, manufacturer, or regulatory entity under review. We do not accept success-fee structures, equity arrangements, or referral fees from any party named in a deliverable. Where a conflict is discovered mid-engagement, we disclose in writing within one business day and the client decides whether to proceed, reassign, or terminate with a pro-rated refund. Conflicts identified at intake are disclosed in the engagement letter before the client signs.
Request an engagement
If a decision is in front of you and you want a senior advisor to walk through it before you commit capital, request an engagement. We respond within one business day.