Why we publish the formula and refuse the industry average
Last updated
Quick Answer
A metric's definition and formula are safe to publish; its typical value is not, unless it traces to a government, statistical or academic primary source.1,2
What it is
The standing rule behind every gated page on this site. Where a metric has no traceable comparison figure, the page ships the formula, the interpretation and an explicit statement that we did not verify one. Fifty-six nodes in our graph carry that gate, thirty-three of them metrics, and an audit asserts that none of them publishes a value.1,2
Operational context
What good looks like
Why It Matters
Refusing is more useful to you than guessing. A figure with no provenance still changes behaviour — it becomes the target somebody manages toward — and in a leveraged business that is an expensive way to be wrong. Saying "nobody has verified this, and here is why" is a claim we can defend and a claim a vendor-funded publisher structurally cannot make.1
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Why we publish the formula and refuse the industry average in venture capital?
The standing rule behind every gated page on this site. Where a metric has no traceable comparison figure, the page ships the formula, the interpretation and an explicit statement that we did not verify one.
Why is Why we publish the formula and refuse the industry average important for startups?
Understanding Why we publish the formula and refuse the industry average is critical for founders navigating the fundraising process. It directly impacts deal terms, valuation, and the relationship between founders and investors.
Sources & References
- 1.A2-10 — Deltek Clarity A&E Industry Study, 47th annual, 896 firms, FY2025Deltek Clarity A&E Industry Study, 47th annual, 896 firms, FY2025Academic / institutional primary(A metric's definition and formula are safe to publish; its typical value is not, unless it traces to a government, statistical or academic primary source.)primary · A2 · benchmark-integrity · concept
- 2.INT-09 — beast-network-master-plan.md - guardrails, prune-thin-pages-keep-graphbeast-network-master-plan.md - guardrails, prune-thin-pages-keep-graphInternal network artifact(A metric's definition and formula are safe to publish; its typical value is not, unless it traces to a government, statistical or academic primary source.)orientation · INT · benchmark-integrity · concept
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