Our assessment methodology · Updated October 12, 2026
Your data has a story. Here’s how we assess it.
A useful dataset shows how real work gets done: the problem, the decisions, the changes and the result. Our assessment helps you understand what a buyer might find useful—and what needs a closer look.
More files do not automatically mean more value. Connected, usable examples of work can be more useful than a much larger pile of disconnected records. A questionnaire can identify a possible fit; only evidence, buyer interest and agreed terms can establish a price.
Six questions behind the opportunity.
01 / The work
What does your data show?
A resolved support request, an approval or a finished project can show how someone solved a real problem. Repeated copies of the same file add little information.
Useful evidence: original records, meaningful history and a clear description of the work they represent.
02 / The connections
Can we follow the full story?
Imagine starting with a request, finding the related discussion and document, then seeing the final resolution. Those connections help a buyer understand the sequence.
Useful evidence: consistent references and dates that still connect after identifying details are removed.
03 / The result
Do we know what worked?
A final answer is more informative when the records explain the decisions and changes behind it. Failed attempts and corrections can also be useful when their outcomes are clear.
Useful evidence: recorded decisions, revisions, approvals and results.
04 / The expertise
What would be hard to recreate?
Specialist judgment, unusual situations and years of practical experience may be difficult to find elsewhere. Ordinary work can still be useful when it is well documented.
Useful evidence: specific processes and situations, rather than a claim that every record is unique.
05 / The readiness
Can the records be used responsibly?
We need to understand who can authorize the proposed use, which information must be excluded and how the remaining records can be prepared. Holding a file does not necessarily mean every use is permitted.
Useful evidence: permissions to review, a manageable export and a plan for sensitive information.
06 / The buyer
Does someone need this package?
Different buyers need different examples. A one-time collection, regularly refreshed records and hands-on expert participation are different offerings.
Useful evidence: a defined use, an interested buyer and a scope both sides can agree to.
What the dollar categories actually mean.
Our free assessment uses three public market reference categories: $100k+, $500k+ and $1M+. These labels help organize an initial conversation. They are not an appraisal, a price per employee, an offer, a promised payout or a minimum you will receive. We do not calculate them from a database of completed transactions. An eventual agreement could be lower, higher or never happen.
We apply our own screening rules to your answers. A category does not mean a buyer has approved your business or committed a budget. See our commercial disclosures for the market-reference context.
Starting opportunity
$100k+ reference
Documented operations give us a starting point, but the answers do not yet meet our broader or specialist category. Partial connections between systems may still need work.
Broader connected work
$500k+ reference
At least three types of business systems, at least a year of history, records that connect across systems, and either recorded decisions and results or willingness to discuss ongoing participation.
Specialist connected work
$1M+ reference
At least three types of systems, more than three years of history, connected records, specialist expertise, and recorded decisions and results. We check this category before the broader category.
Sometimes the right answer is “needs a closer look.”
We leave the opportunity unpriced when you select fewer than 30 employees, less than a year of history, uncertain systems, unknown connections, or permissions that still need checking. These are limits of our quick screening—not a claim that smaller or newer datasets have no value. A small specialist collection can deserve an individual review.
All priced categories first pass those initial checks. Employee count alone never moves a result into a higher category. Sensitive information triggers review guidance; it is not automatically a rejection or a guarantee that preparation is possible. Even a “we own or control it” answer still needs a review of the proposed use.
Screening version: otd-v1. Published October 12, 2026. Answers are self-reported; the questionnaire does not inspect records, verify rights or measure quality.
Same idea. Three different starting points.
These are fictional illustrations. They do not describe participating companies, transactions or buyer commitments.
Example A / Missing connections
A large archive, unclear links.
An established team has years of records but cannot yet tell whether requests connect to decisions and outcomes.
Result: needs a closer look. First, try following a few completed pieces of work from beginning to end.
Example B / Everyday expertise
A connected record of useful work.
An established team of 30 or more has two years of records across support, projects and a knowledge base. The records connect, decisions and results are documented, and the team reports control of the data.
Result: the $500k+ reference category. The next step is verifying a small, agreed sample.
Example C / Specialist expertise
Depth, decisions and outcomes.
An established team of 30 or more reports control of more than three years of specialist project, approval and operations records. The records connect and show decisions, revisions and results.
Result: the $1M+ reference category. Buyer fit and actual evidence still determine whether an opportunity exists.
Why the final price can change.
A buyer negotiates for a particular package and permission to use it. Price discussions should specify the records included, the intended use, how long that use lasts, whether other buyers can license the same material, who does the preparation, how updates work and how acceptance and payment are handled.
An exclusive arrangement may limit future opportunities; a larger headline amount is not automatically a better agreement. Preparation costs, delivery obligations and payment timing matter too. Our assessment does not estimate net proceeds or contract terms.
From a quick screen to an informed decision.
Answer the short questionnaire. Tell us about the systems and work you have. No records or credentials are needed.
Review the fit together. Confirm what the answers mean, what you want to explore and which permissions need checking.
Agree a limited evidence review. If appropriate, define a small sample and a safe way to examine it before any transfer. Quality review is separate from this free screening.
Discuss a specific opportunity. A proposed buyer, use, package and commercial terms must be clear before you decide whether to proceed.
A useful first step today.
List your main systems, the years covered and whether you can follow three completed projects or requests across them. Note where outcomes are recorded and where permissions are uncertain. Keep this inventory internal until a review scope is agreed.
Assessment submissions and company identities are not published as examples. Submitting the questionnaire does not authorize a buyer introduction or the sharing of business records.
