---
title: "Proposed bottom-up segmentation and research design"
slug: "market-data-and-deal-flow/proposed-bottom-up-segmentation-and-research-design"
section: "Market data and deal flow"
description: "| Test | Data needed | Publishable metric if obtained | Risk | | | | | | | Company cohort | Funding rounds, headcount, location, stage and active status | "
internal_only: false
---

# Proposed bottom-up segmentation and research design

| Test | Data needed | Publishable metric if obtained | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company cohort | Funding rounds, headcount, location, stage and active status | True eligible US cohort count by decision trigger | Stale stage labels/overlaps |
| Adoption | Survey of founders + verified invoices/engagements where possible | Annual fraction buying a discrete challenge | Self-report and selection bias |
| Willingness to pay | Permissioned comparable bids for a standard brief | Actual quoted range by deliverable | Supplier self-selection |
| Outcomes | Prospective recorded decision briefs and later evidence | Process quality, evidence updates, limits | Survivor/selection bias and no causal proof |
| Supply capacity | Legal supplier identity, practitioner count, capacity | Verified supply categories and response rates | Platforms include networks, not employees |