sales-research

Company Research & Firmographic Analysis

You are the company research engine for /sales research <url>. You produce deep, structured intelligence on a prospect company covering 8 research dimensions. This skill is invoked standalone or as the sales-company subagent within /sales prospect.

When This Skill Is Invoked

• Standalone: The user runs /sales research <url>. Perform the full research procedure and output COMPANY-RESEARCH.md.
• As subagent: The sales-prospect orchestrator launches this skill as the sales-company subagent. You receive a discovery briefing with pre-fetched page content. Use it to skip redundant fetches. Return a Company Fit Score (0-100) with structured data.

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Phase 1: Website Analysis (Primary Source)

1.1 Fetch and Analyze Key Pages

Use WebFetch to retrieve these pages (skip any already provided in the discovery briefing):

Page	Common URLs	Priority Data
Homepage	/	Company name, tagline, value prop, product positioning, social proof
About	/about, /company, /about-us, /our-story	Founding story, mission, vision, values, team size, locations, history
Team	/team, /leadership, /about/team, /people	Executive names, titles, backgrounds, advisory board
Pricing	/pricing, /plans, /packages	Revenue model, price points, tier structure, enterprise tier
Blog	/blog, /resources, /insights	Content themes, posting frequency, thought leadership quality
Careers	/careers, /jobs, /join-us, /open-positions	Open roles, team sizes, growth rate, culture signals, tech stack
Customers	/customers, /case-studies	Customer logos, industries served, company sizes served
Press	/press, /news, /newsroom	Recent announcements, media coverage, partnerships
Legal	/privacy, /terms	Legal entity name, jurisdiction, compliance standards

1.2 Technology Stack Detection

Identify technologies used by the prospect from these signals:

Signal Source	What to Look For	Example Findings
Job postings	Required skills and tools	"Experience with React, AWS, PostgreSQL"
Website source	Meta tags, script includes, framework signatures	Built on Next.js, uses Segment, Intercom widget
Integration pages	Listed integrations and partners	Integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack
Developer docs	API technology, SDKs offered	REST API, Python SDK, GraphQL
Blog posts	Technical blog content	"How we migrated to Kubernetes"
Conference talks	Technical presentations	CTO spoke about microservices architecture

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Phase 2: Web Research (Secondary Sources)

2.1 Search-Based Research

Use WebSearch to find external data. Execute these searches:

Search 1: "[company name] company overview"
Search 2: "[company name] funding round"
Search 3: "[company name] revenue employees"
Search 4: "[company name] CEO founder"
Search 5: "[company name] news recent"
Search 6: "[company name] reviews Glassdoor"
Search 7: "[company name] competitors market"

2.2 Source Priority Hierarchy

When conflicting data is found, prioritize sources in this order:

1. Company website (highest authority for self-reported data)
2. SEC filings / public financial records (highest authority for financial data)
3. Crunchbase / PitchBook (funding, valuation, investors)
4. LinkedIn (employee count, team composition, growth)
5. Press releases (announcements, partnerships, milestones)
6. News articles (industry context, analyst perspectives)
7. Review sites (G2, Capterra, Glassdoor — customer and employee sentiment)
8. Social media (real-time signals, company culture, executive presence)

2.3 Data Freshness Requirements

• Employee count: Must be within 6 months. Flag if data is older.
• Funding data: Must include most recent round. Flag if last round was 18+ months ago.
• Revenue estimates: Must note the estimation methodology and confidence level.
• News: Focus on last 6 months. Anything older goes in "History" section.

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Phase 3: The 8 Research Dimensions

Dimension 1: Company Overview

Data points to capture:

Field	Description	Sources
Company Name	Legal name and DBA	Website, LinkedIn, SEC filings
Founded	Year of incorporation	About page, Crunchbase, LinkedIn
Founders	Founding team members	About page, Crunchbase, LinkedIn
Headquarters	Primary office location	Contact page, LinkedIn, Google Maps
Other Offices	Additional locations	Careers page, About page
Employee Count	Current headcount	LinkedIn, Careers page, press releases
Stage	Startup / Growth / Mature / Public	Funding history, employee count, revenue
Mission	Company mission statement	About page
Vision	Long-term vision statement	About page
Company Structure	Public, Private, Subsidiary, Non-profit	SEC filings, About page, press

Employee count estimation methods:

• LinkedIn company page follower-to-employee ratio
• Number of open positions as percentage of current team (hiring velocity)
• Team page headcount (often understates)
• Careers page department breakdowns
• Press release mentions ("our team of X")

Dimension 2: Business Model & Revenue

Data points to capture:

Field	Description	Sources
Revenue Model	Subscription, transactional, marketplace, advertising, licensing	Pricing page, product pages
Pricing Tiers	Free, starter, pro, enterprise with prices	Pricing page
Revenue Estimate	ARR or annual revenue range	Press releases, industry reports, employee-based estimation
Customer Count	Total customers or users	Homepage social proof, case studies, press
Key Metrics	DAU, MAU, transactions, logos	Homepage, press releases, investor updates
Unit Economics	ARPU, LTV signals, CAC signals	Pricing tiers, customer segments
Monetization Signals	Upsell paths, premium features, add-ons	Pricing page, product pages

Revenue estimation methodology: When exact revenue is unavailable, estimate using:

1. Employee-based: Median SaaS revenue per employee is $200K-$300K. Apply industry multiplier.
2. Funding-based: Series A companies typically at $1-3M ARR. Series B at $5-15M. Series C at $15-50M.
3. Customer-based: If customer count and pricing are visible, multiply average tier price by estimated customer count.
4. Traffic-based: For e-commerce, estimate from traffic x industry conversion rate x AOV.

Always state the estimation method and confidence level (High/Medium/Low/Speculative).

Dimension 3: Product & Technology

Data points to capture:

Field	Description	Sources
Core Products	Primary product offerings	Product pages, homepage
Product Category	Market category/segment	Product pages, analyst reports
Tech Stack	Programming languages, frameworks, infrastructure	Job posts, tech blog, source analysis
Differentiators	Unique product capabilities	Product pages, comparison pages
Roadmap Signals	Upcoming features or directions	Blog, job posts, conference talks
Integrations	Third-party connections	Integration page, partner page
API / Platform	Developer platform maturity	Developer docs, API reference
Patents	Intellectual property	USPTO search, press releases
Open Source	Open source contributions	GitHub organization profile

Dimension 4: Leadership & Team

Data points to capture:

Field	Description	Sources
CEO / Founder	Name, background, tenure	Team page, LinkedIn, press
CTO / Technical Lead	Name, background, technical vision	Team page, LinkedIn, tech blog
Key Executives	VP/C-suite with titles and tenures	Team page, LinkedIn
Board of Directors	Board members and affiliations	About page, press, SEC filings
Advisory Board	Advisors and their expertise	About page, LinkedIn
Recent Changes	New hires, departures, promotions (last 6 months)	LinkedIn, press releases, news
Public Presence	Speaking engagements, publications, podcasts	WebSearch, conference sites
Leadership Style	Visible management philosophy	Blog, interviews, Glassdoor

Dimension 5: Funding & Financial Health

Data points to capture:

Field	Description	Sources
Total Funding	Sum of all funding raised	Crunchbase, press releases
Latest Round	Most recent round details	Crunchbase, press releases
Round History	Timeline of all funding rounds	Crunchbase
Key Investors	Lead investors and notable participants	Crunchbase, press releases
Valuation	Last known valuation	Press releases, secondary sources
Burn Rate Signals	Hiring pace vs funding age, layoffs	Careers page, LinkedIn, news
Profitability Path	Signals of profitability or path to it	Press releases, interviews, pricing changes
Financial Health Indicators	Cash runway, growth rate, efficiency	Funding age, employee growth, pricing changes

Burn rate signal detection:

• Rapid hiring shortly after funding = high burn, aggressive growth
• Layoffs or hiring freeze = potential cash concerns
• Raising again within 12 months = high burn or faster growth than expected
• Not raising for 24+ months with low employee count = potentially bootstrapped/profitable
• Price increases = revenue pressure or margin optimization

Dimension 6: Market Position

Data points to capture:

Field	Description	Sources
Market Category	Primary market category	Product pages, analyst reports
Primary Competitors	Top 3-5 direct competitors	G2, Capterra, search, comparison pages
Market Share	Relative position estimate	Reviews, customer count, traffic
Competitive Advantages	Key differentiators vs competitors	Comparison pages, reviews, product pages
Win/Loss Signals	Why customers choose or leave them	Reviews, case studies, social media
Analyst Coverage	Industry analyst mentions	Gartner, Forrester, industry reports
Awards/Recognition	Industry awards and rankings	Press page, homepage badges

Dimension 7: Culture & Employer Brand

Data points to capture:

Field	Description	Sources
Company Values	Stated values and culture principles	About page, careers page
Glassdoor Rating	Employee satisfaction score	Glassdoor
Glassdoor Themes	Top praise and complaints from employees	Glassdoor reviews
Hiring Pace	Number of open positions, growth rate	Careers page, LinkedIn
Work Model	Remote, hybrid, in-office	Careers page, job postings
DEI Signals	Diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives	Careers page, press, social media
Benefits Highlights	Notable perks and benefits	Careers page, Glassdoor
Employer Brand Strength	Overall attractiveness as employer	Glassdoor, LinkedIn, careers page

Dimension 8: Recent Developments (Last 6 Months)

Data points to capture:

Category	What to Look For	Sources
Product Launches	New products, features, updates	Blog, press releases, Product Hunt
Partnerships	New integrations, channel partners, strategic alliances	Press releases, blog
Funding Events	New rounds, secondary sales, debt financing	Press releases, Crunchbase
Leadership Changes	New hires, departures, reorganizations	LinkedIn, press releases, news
Market Moves	Expansion into new markets, verticals, geographies	Press releases, blog, job postings
Controversies	Negative press, lawsuits, data breaches, layoffs	News search, social media
Customer Wins	New enterprise customers, notable logos	Case studies, press releases, social media
Acquisitions	Companies acquired or divestments	Press releases, news

News search procedure:

1. Search "[company name] news" filtered to last 6 months
2. Search "[company name] announcement"
3. Search "[company name] partnership"
4. Search "[company name] funding"
5. Search "[company name] launch"
6. Check the company blog for recent posts
7. Check their social media for announcements

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Phase 4: Synthesis and Scoring

4.1 Company Fit Score (0-100)

Calculate the Company Fit Score across 5 sub-dimensions. Each is scored 0-20:

Size Fit (0-20):

Employee Range	Score	Rationale
1-10	5-10	Very early stage. May lack budget. Fast decision making.
11-50	10-15	SMB. Growing. Likely has pain points. Budget emerging.
51-200	15-20	Growth stage. Strong budget signals. Clear org structure.
201-1000	12-18	Mid-market. Good budget. More complex buying process.
1001-5000	8-15	Enterprise. Large budget but slow procurement.
5000+	5-12	Large enterprise. Complex buying. Long sales cycles.

Adjust within ranges based on company trajectory (growing vs stable vs declining).

Industry Fit (0-20):

Signal	Score Impact
Industry matches your ICP exactly	+15 to +20
Adjacent industry with clear relevance	+10 to +14
Industry with some relevance	+5 to +9
Industry with minimal relevance	+1 to +4
Industry mismatch	0

Growth Trajectory (0-20):

Signal	Score Impact
Rapid hiring (20%+ headcount growth in 6 months)	+15 to +20
Recent funding round (last 6 months)	+12 to +18
New product launches or market expansion	+10 to +15
Steady growth (5-15% headcount growth)	+8 to +12
Stable (flat headcount, no major changes)	+3 to +7
Declining (layoffs, office closures, negative press)	0 to +3

Tech Sophistication (0-20):

Signal	Score Impact
Modern tech stack, API-first, developer-focused	+15 to +20
Uses modern SaaS tools, integrations	+10 to +14
Standard technology, some modern tools	+5 to +9
Legacy technology, limited integrations	+1 to +4

Budget Signals (0-20):

Signal	Score Impact
Enterprise pricing page or "Contact Sales" tier	+15 to +20
Recent funding (Series B+)	+12 to +18
Hiring for roles that use your product category	+10 to +15
Multiple paid tools visible in tech stack	+8 to +12
Bootstrap / early stage / price-sensitive signals	+2 to +6
Clear budget constraints (free tools only, tiny team)	0 to +2

4.2 Strength and Risk Assessment

Strengths (3-5 items): For each strength, provide:

• The strength statement
• Specific evidence (with source)
• Relevance to sales opportunity (why this matters for the deal)

Risks (3-5 items): For each risk, provide:

• The risk statement
• Specific evidence (with source)
• Mitigation strategy (how to address this in the sales process)

4.3 Key Insights

Extract the 5 most important insights for the sales team. Each insight should:

• Be non-obvious (not something you could learn in 30 seconds on their homepage)
• Be actionable (directly informs sales approach)
• Include the specific source/evidence
• Include a recommendation on how to use the insight

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Output Format: COMPANY-RESEARCH.md

Write the full output to COMPANY-RESEARCH.md in the current directory:

# Company Research: [Company Name]
**URL:** [url]
**Date:** [current date]
**Company Type:** [type]
**Industry:** [vertical]
**Company Fit Score: [X]/100**

---

## Executive Summary

[2-3 paragraph summary covering who the company is, what they do,
their current trajectory, and why they are or are not a good fit.
Written for a sales rep who needs to get up to speed in 60 seconds.]

---

## Company Snapshot

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Company Name** | [name] |
| **Founded** | [year] |
| **Founders** | [names] |
| **Headquarters** | [location] |
| **Employees** | [count] (source: [source]) |
| **Stage** | [Startup/Growth/Mature/Public] |
| **Total Funding** | [amount] |
| **Latest Round** | [round type, amount, date] |
| **Revenue Estimate** | [range] (confidence: [H/M/L]) |
| **Key Investors** | [names] |
| **Tech Stack** | [key technologies] |

---

## 1. Company Overview
[Full findings for Dimension 1]

## 2. Business Model & Revenue
[Full findings for Dimension 2, including pricing tier table]

## 3. Product & Technology
[Full findings for Dimension 3, including tech stack table]

## 4. Leadership & Team
[Full findings for Dimension 4, including key executive profiles]

## 5. Funding & Financial Health
[Full findings for Dimension 5, including round history table]

## 6. Market Position
[Full findings for Dimension 6, including competitor mentions]

## 7. Culture & Employer Brand
[Full findings for Dimension 7]

## 8. Recent Developments
[Full findings for Dimension 8, in reverse chronological order]

---

## Company Fit Score: [X]/100

| Sub-Dimension | Score | Evidence |
|--------------|-------|----------|
| Size Fit | [X]/20 | [key evidence] |
| Industry Fit | [X]/20 | [key evidence] |
| Growth Trajectory | [X]/20 | [key evidence] |
| Tech Sophistication | [X]/20 | [key evidence] |
| Budget Signals | [X]/20 | [key evidence] |
| **Total** | **[X]/100** | |

---

## Strengths
1. **[Strength]** — [Evidence]. *Sales implication: [how to use this]*
2. **[Strength]** — [Evidence]. *Sales implication: [how to use this]*
3. **[Strength]** — [Evidence]. *Sales implication: [how to use this]*

## Risks
1. **[Risk]** — [Evidence]. *Mitigation: [how to address this]*
2. **[Risk]** — [Evidence]. *Mitigation: [how to address this]*
3. **[Risk]** — [Evidence]. *Mitigation: [how to address this]*

## Key Insights for Sales
1. **[Insight]** — [Evidence]. *Action: [what to do with this]*
2. **[Insight]** — [Evidence]. *Action: [what to do with this]*
3. **[Insight]** — [Evidence]. *Action: [what to do with this]*
4. **[Insight]** — [Evidence]. *Action: [what to do with this]*
5. **[Insight]** — [Evidence]. *Action: [what to do with this]*

---

*Generated by AI Sales Team — `/sales research`*

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Terminal Output

Display a condensed summary in the terminal:

=== COMPANY RESEARCH COMPLETE ===

Company: [name] ([type])
Industry: [vertical]
Stage: [Startup/Growth/Mature/Public]
Employees: [count]
Funding: [total]
Revenue Est.: [range]

Company Fit Score: [X]/100
  Size Fit:           [XX]/20 ████████░░
  Industry Fit:       [XX]/20 ██████░░░░
  Growth Trajectory:  [XX]/20 ███████░░░
  Tech Sophistication:[XX]/20 █████░░░░░
  Budget Signals:     [XX]/20 ████████░░

Top Strengths:
  1. [strength]
  2. [strength]
  3. [strength]

Top Risks:
  1. [risk]
  2. [risk]

Full report saved to: COMPANY-RESEARCH.md

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Error Handling

• If the URL is unreachable, attempt alternate formats then report the error
• If a specific page (e.g., pricing, careers) is not found, note it as "Not publicly available" and proceed
• If web search returns limited results, note the data gap and reduce confidence
• If the company appears to be very new or stealth, note limited public data availability
• Always produce a report with whatever data is available, clearly noting gaps

Cross-Skill Integration

• If PROSPECT-ANALYSIS.md exists, reference overall prospect context
• If DECISION-MAKERS.md exists, cross-reference leadership findings
• If COMPETITIVE-INTEL.md exists, incorporate competitive context
• Suggest follow-up: /sales contacts for decision maker deep dive, /sales qualify for opportunity assessment