The Mercury Test Audit

Most companies don't need more advice.
They need an accurate diagnosis.

The Mercury Test is a structured 90-minute working session with a tight scope. We're not looking at everything. We're looking at two things — the ones that are almost always driving the problem at the $1M–$5M stage.

Not a pitch. Not a presentation. A direct look at what's actually real inside your business — and what isn't.

What It Is

A working session. Not a sales call.

90 minutes. Two people. A direct conversation about what's actually happening inside your revenue engine.

I'm not going to ask you to fill out a form or walk me through a deck. I'm going to ask you the questions that tell me what's real — and what you've been telling yourself instead.

Following the session you receive a written Mercury Test Report. Some founders use it internally. Others decide to engage more deeply. Both outcomes are fine.

How It Works
  • 01
    Request a Conversation Brief intake. No forms. No qualification theater. We confirm fit and schedule.
  • 02
    90-Minute Working Session Direct examination of founder dependency and pipeline truth. We go where the conversation needs to go.
  • 03
    Mercury Test Report Written findings. What's real, where risk is building, what matters most right now.
  • 04
    Decide What's Next If deeper engagement makes sense, we define it together. If it doesn't, you have the report.
The Scope

Two areas. Both of them matter. One of them is almost always the real problem.

At the $1M–$5M stage, most revenue problems trace back to one of two things — or both. We look at these hard and don't move on until we know what's actually there.

Focus Area 01

Founder Dependency

You are the sales motion. The team orbits it. Nothing moves without you. The question isn't whether this is a problem — you already know it is. The question is what's actually holding it in place and what it would take to change.

  • Where exactly does founder involvement start and stop in every deal
  • What has the team actually tried to carry — and what happened
  • What's the real blocker — skill, process, trust, or something else
  • What would have to be true for this to change in the next 90 days
Focus Area 02

Pipeline Truth

Your pipeline says one thing. Your close rate says something else. The gap between what's in the CRM and what's actually real is where most founders are losing time, money, and momentum they don't have to lose.

  • What's actually real in the pipeline versus what just looks like progress
  • Where deals are stalling and what's actually causing it
  • What discovery is actually happening versus what founders think is happening
  • What the forecast is really telling you — and what you're telling yourself instead
The Mercury Test Report

You leave with something written. Not a verbal debrief.

Following the session I write a Mercury Test Report. It's not a long document. It's a direct summary of what I saw — the real situation, where risk is building, and what matters most right now.

Some founders use it internally to align their team. Others use it as the starting point for deeper engagement. Either way, you walk away with something concrete.

What the Report Covers
  • Where founder dependency is actually showing up — and what's driving it
  • An honest read on pipeline composition — what's real, what's not
  • The 2–3 things that matter most right now
  • Where risk is building that isn't visible from inside
  • What I'd look at next if we were to work together
"Some companies use the findings internally. Others decide to engage more deeply. Both outcomes are fine."

This isn't a sales process with a Mercury Test as the top of the funnel. It's a diagnostic. If it's useful on its own, that's a good outcome. If it leads somewhere, we'll both know it.

All work is private and confidential.

Most engagements begin through private introductions between founders and investors. Some founders reach out directly. Either way, the conversation starts the same — a direct look at what's actually happening, with no agenda beyond that.

There's no follow-up sequence. No nurture campaign. If there's something worth pursuing after the session, we'll both see it clearly.

Ready to Start

If you're not sure what's real
inside your revenue engine —
that's exactly what this is for.

One session. A written report. We'll both know quickly whether there's something worth pursuing.

Request a Conversation