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What we deliver

Services

Three engagement tiers, one consistent process.

Our work runs along a four-tier ladder — per-item desk work for single-document or single-question reviews, a single-question research note, a full diligence engagement, or an ongoing retainer relationship. Desk items invoice from a published rate card. Engagement-tier work is fixed-fee against a written engagement letter and closes with a written document. Every tier runs through the same five-stage methodology. The only thing that changes is depth, source count, and how long we have to do the work.

Desk Item

$40 – $250 · per-item rate card
Who it's for
Operators with a single tactical question that does not warrant a full engagement letter — a one-document review, a fifteen-minute founder call, or a one-paragraph written reply on a narrow point. Used by retainer clients between formal engagements and by prospective clients to test working with us before commissioning larger work.
Rate card
  • $40 — Single-source review (one document or one public source, written reply)
  • $80 — Fifteen-minute founder consult (call, no written deliverable)
  • $120 — One-question written response (~1 page, two cited sources)
  • $180 — Two-question briefing (~2 pages, three to five cited sources)
  • $250 — Short brief (~3 pages, five to ten cited sources)
Deliverable
Written reply by email within three to five business days, or a scheduled fifteen-minute call. No engagement letter or NDA on single-document or public-source items; reciprocal NDA on items involving non-public client material.
When to step up
When a question requires more than ten cited sources, direct outreach to a regulator or supplier, or a written deliverable intended for board or investor distribution, the work moves up to a Research Note or Diligence Engagement under a written engagement letter.

Research Note

$450 – $1,500 · fixed fee
Who it's for
Operators who have a single, clearly framed question and want a senior advisor's written read on it before they commit capital, calendar, or counsel.
Deliverable
A written research note of five to fifteen pages: question, sources reviewed, direct findings, areas of remaining uncertainty, and a clearly stated recommendation. Citations are inline and verifiable.
Typical scope
Five to fifteen pages, three to ten cited sources, three to ten business days from signed engagement letter to delivered document.
Question types
  • Vendor due diligence on a single contract manufacturer
  • Regulatory pathway analysis for a supplement formulation
  • Label-claim substantiation review
  • Public-filing review of a target acquisition
  • GMP audit-readiness review on a single facility

Diligence Engagement

$1,500 – $15,000 · fixed fee
Who it's for
Founders, investors, and operating partners evaluating a vendor, a regulatory exposure, or an acquisition target where the size of the decision warrants a full investigation rather than a short note.
Deliverable
A written diligence package of fifteen to forty pages with executive summary, full source log, direct verification record, risk register, and a recommendation with a clearly stated confidence interval. Suitable to share with counsel, investors, or a board.
Typical scope
Fifteen to forty pages, ten to forty cited sources including direct outreach to suppliers and regulators, two to four weeks from engagement letter to delivered document, weekly status updates included.
Question types
  • Full vendor diligence on a contract manufacturer or co-packer
  • Regulatory diligence on an acquisition target
  • Supply-chain redundancy assessment across multiple vendors
  • Market-landscape analysis for a product category
  • Pre-investment diligence package for an outside investor

Retainer Advisory

$3,000 – $25,000 / quarter
Who it's for
Operating teams who face an ongoing stream of regulatory, vendor, and category questions and want a standing advisor on call rather than a series of discrete engagements.
Deliverable
A monthly written brief of three to eight pages summarizing the questions raised that month, our findings, and recommended actions, plus async access by email throughout the quarter for small clarifications and one standing strategy call per month.
Typical scope
Quarterly engagement, renewable. One monthly brief, one standing call per month, async email access, and an agreed cap on hours per month so the relationship stays predictable on both sides.
Question types
  • Ongoing vendor and supplier monitoring across a portfolio
  • Regulatory horizon scanning for a product category
  • Recurring market-landscape analysis
  • Standing review of marketing claims and label language
  • Quarterly board-ready independent advisory brief

What's included on every engagement

  • Mutual NDA — executed before any substantive conversation, no exception, regardless of fee size.
  • Written engagement letter — fixed fee, defined deliverable, committed timeline, conflicts position stated up front.
  • Written deliverable — every engagement closes with a document. We do not issue verbal-only conclusions.
  • Source citations — every claim in a deliverable cites the underlying source, and the source log is verifiable by a third party.
  • Two-week clarification window — included in every fixed-fee engagement; addenda issued at no additional charge for material clarifications.
  • Conflicts disclosure — any existing or potential financial relationship with a named party is disclosed in writing in the engagement letter.

Not sure which tier fits?

Most engagements begin with a thirty-minute scoping call at no fee. Tell us what decision is in front of you and we will tell you which tier it warrants — or, if it is not a question we can usefully answer, we will say so. Request a scoping call.