I created a Metric Audit Checklist to systematically flag inflated metrics in founder pitches and keep trust high.
- Run‑rate calculation: average revenue (or paid customers) taken linearly over 12 months, not a single‑day spike. ^e2
- Customer count verification: cross‑check deck numbers against publicly visible website figures; flag any >2× discrepancy. ^e3
- Investor claim validation: treat any "Big Name Investor is in the round" statement as unverified until a signed term sheet or documented commitment is provided. ^e4
I start each founder interaction with a trust score of 100 % and subtract points for each identified exaggeration (‑10 for inflated customer count, ‑15 for incorrect run‑rate, etc.). This scoring feeds into a central log for future reference.