Independence & ethics
Independence is the product.
For a diligence and governance firm, independence isn't a value statement. It's the entire basis of the judgment you're paying for. Here is what we refuse, and why our refusal is worth more than a reassurance.
Why this page exists
Most firms bury independence in an About page and hope you take it on faith. We put it in the nav, because in our work it's the whole point.
When we assess an AI leader, a system, or a compliance posture, our recommendation is only as good as our reasons for it. The moment we have a reason to reach a particular conclusion, a placement fee, a product license, a partner kickback, our judgment stops being evidence and starts being a sales motion wearing the language of diligence. You can't audit your way back out of that. So we don't enter it.
The conflicts we refuse
We don't place the people we vet
We're not a search firm and we don't collect a placement fee. When we assess an AI or ML leader before you hire, we have no financial interest in you saying yes.
We don't resell the tools we assess
We hold no reseller agreements, referral commissions, or vendor rebates on the AI platforms, models, or governance products we evaluate. When we tell you a system is or isn't audit-ready, that finding pays us the same either way.
We don't grade our own build
When we build a governed system, a separate, disclosed arrangement governs whether we also assess it, and we will name any firm better placed to check our work. Where they must overlap, you'll know, in writing, before the engagement starts.
We don't take equity or contingent fees for a verdict
Our diligence fee is fixed and disclosed. We don't hold a stake in the company, the deal, or the outcome that our recommendation moves.
We don't sell the finding you hoped for
You're paying for our reasoning, not our agreement. If the evidence points to a conclusion you didn't want, that's the conclusion you get, with the basis laid out so you can act on it or challenge it.
Our independence commitments
- No placement fees, commissions, or success fees when a candidate we assess is hired.
- No reseller or referral revenue on any AI vendor, model, platform, or governance product we evaluate. [Verify against final partnership policy before publishing.]
- No equity, carry, or contingent fee tied to the outcome our recommendation influences.
- Fixed, disclosed fees. You know what the engagement costs, and it doesn't change with the finding.
- Disclosed overlaps. When we both build and assess in one organization, the arrangement is disclosed in writing before work begins.
- Conflicts declared up front. Any prior relationship with a candidate, vendor, or party is disclosed before we start.
- The evidence stands whether you like it or not. We deliver the recommendation the evidence supports.
- Only what's real. We claim no logo, metric, certification, or membership we haven't earned. [Formal memberships or independence certifications will be listed here once held, and not before.]
Why this makes our judgment worth more
An assessment is a bet on someone's reasoning. The first question a serious buyer, board, or regulator should ask is: what would it take for this firm to reach a different conclusion, and does anyone pay them to? For most of the market, the honest answer is uncomfortable. For us, the answer is nothing and no one. We've removed the incentives that would bias the finding, so what's left is the finding. Independent by design isn't a slogan on this page. It's the set of deals we said no to so that our yes, and our no, mean something.