Passive referrer vs active co-advisor: how involved should you be after an introduction?
After the introduction, a SourceX referral partner's job is mostly done: you give basic fit information, stay available to the sponsor and follow progress, while SourceX and the company handle qualification, inventory, terms, buyers and delivery. Partners never export or describe confidential records. If you also advise the company, that work runs under your own engagement.
The short answer: introduce, confirm the basics, then step back
After a SourceX introduction, a partner's role is deliberately small. You confirm a few facts that help qualification (approximate headcount at peak, years in operation, the kinds of systems the company uses and who the sponsor is), make the connection, and then the sponsor works with SourceX directly. You never see, export, upload or summarize the company's records, and you are not part of price or terms discussions.
That is the passive referrer model, and it fits most partners. A smaller group already advises the company as its fractional CFO, M&A adviser, outside counsel, consultant or board member. They can stay closely involved, but in that capacity they act for the company under their own engagement, not as SourceX's partner. The rest of this page shows where each role starts and stops.
Passive referrer vs active co-advisor at a glance
| Question | Passive referrer | Active co-advisor |
|---|---|---|
| Who you are | A connector who knows an owner or executive | Someone already advising the company under an engagement |
| Your job after the introduction | Answer basic fit questions and stay available to the sponsor | Advise the company on whether and how to proceed |
| Access to company records | None | Whatever your engagement allows, never passed to SourceX by you |
| Who you act for | Nobody in the transaction | The company, on your engagement terms |
| Contact with SourceX | Fit information and status questions | Joins calls when the company asks, and speaks for it only with authority |
| Contact with buyers | None | None from the partner side; the company and SourceX manage buyers |
| How you are paid | A SourceX partner reward if a deal is completed and paid | Your own fee from the company, plus any partner reward, which you disclose and check against your rules |
| Main risk | Over-promising to the owner | A conflict between your advice and your reward |
| Time after the introduction | A few check-ins | Set by your engagement |
What a partner does and never does after the introduction
| Activity | Partner role? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm approximate peak headcount and years in operation | Yes | Basic fit information speeds qualification |
| Name the kinds of systems in use, such as CRM, help desk, ERP or chat | Yes, in general terms | Breadth across many systems is a fit signal; contents stay private |
| Send a warm introduction email and step out of the thread | Yes | The sponsor decides whether to go further |
| Forward a sample export, a screenshot or a file | Never | Partners never export or upload company records |
| Summarize what is in the CEO's inbox or the support queue | Never | Describing contents is still disclosure |
| Promise a price, a timeline or that a deal will happen | Never | Nothing is binding until the company agrees terms and signs |
| Negotiate price for the company | Only as its adviser under your own engagement | SourceX agrees price and terms with the company itself |
| Remind the sponsor about the data inventory when asked | Fine | Helpful, never required |
| Ask about status through your partner account | Yes | Following progress needs no access to the company's data |
When staying passive is the better choice
- You know the owner personally or through a network, with no advisory relationship.
- You do not want, or are not equipped for, an advisory engagement on a data license.
- You hold a license whose rules make combining an advisory role with a reward difficult; lawyers should read whether lawyers can accept referral fees first.
- The company already has counsel and a finance lead who can run the process internally.
When an active co-advisor role makes sense
- You are already the company's fractional CFO, and the license affects budget, cash planning or the timing of an exit.
- You are the sell-side adviser, and a license needs to fit around a sale process.
- The company asks you to help coordinate its internal inventory work. You can help inside the company under your engagement, but the company itself submits its inventory to SourceX.
In each case, write the work into your engagement letter, tell the company in writing that you are also a SourceX partner, and let the company decide whether it is comfortable with both roles.
What to say when you hand off
Keep the handoff email short, name the sponsor's next step, and take yourself out of the critical path.
The introduction email builder drafts a tailored version if you prefer to start from a template.
The two-hat rule
Treat the partner role and the adviser role as two hats. The partner hat covers the introduction and basic fit information, and any reward comes from SourceX's fee. The adviser hat covers advice to the company, paid by the company under your engagement. Never wear both in a conversation without the company knowing.
- You disclosed in writing that you are a SourceX partner and may receive a share of SourceX's fee
- Your engagement letter covers any advice you give on the license
- You checked your professional body's rules on referral compensation and disclosure
- Your employer or broker-dealer knows about the partnership, if you have one
- You have not received, forwarded or described any company records
Registered representatives have a specific extra step. FINRA reported that the SEC approved new FINRA Rule 3290 on outside activities on September 15, 2026, replacing Rules 3270 and 3280, with the effective date to be announced in a Regulatory Notice; until then the existing rules apply. Tell your firm's compliance team about a paid referral partnership before you start. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm with your own counsel, compliance team or professional body before acting.
For the disclosure question in general, see referral fee vs kickback.
Does more involvement change credit or payment?
No. Credit goes to the first valid referrer whose introduction leads to a verified company application within the attribution window, as the first valid referrer vs last touch comparison explains. Extra meetings do not change the formula either: partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 per referred company. A reward becomes payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee, and the page on why rewards follow collected revenue walks through each stage. Rewards are not guaranteed.
Next step
Run the company through the company fit checker, which needs no contact details, and compare it with the who qualifies baseline. In short, SourceX looks for a US business that had 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), has operated and kept records for several years, holds the rights to what it would license, and has an owner or senior executive willing to sponsor it. If it fits, register as a partner, make the introduction, and let the sponsor take it from there.
Common questions
Do I need to join calls between the company and SourceX?
No. Once the sponsor and SourceX are connected, qualification, the data inventory, price and terms, buyer review and delivery run between them. Some sponsors like a warm handoff on the first call, which is fine if they ask, but your presence is not required, and you should not expect to attend later commercial discussions unless the company engages you as its adviser.
Will staying more involved increase my reward?
No. The reward is calculated the same way however much time you spend: 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX collects from the referred company's licensing deals, up to $100,000 per referred company, payable after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee. Credit depends on being the first valid referrer within the attribution window, not on attending meetings.
Can I help the company build its data inventory?
As the company's adviser under your own engagement, you can help its team work out which systems hold records and how far back they go. As a SourceX partner, you never export, upload or describe the records yourself. The company completes and submits its own inventory, and de-identification and redaction rules are agreed with the company before any data work begins.
What should I do if the company goes quiet after the introduction?
Send one short check-in to the sponsor, then leave it. Companies move at their own pace, and some need board or owner sign-off before they continue. Pressure tends to backfire and is not your role. If the company is not ready now, it can come back later; check the program terms for how attribution works if an application arrives after a long gap.
Should I tell the company that I am paid for the introduction?
Yes. Say plainly that you are a SourceX partner and may receive a share of SourceX's fee if a deal is completed and paid. That reward is never deducted from what the company receives. If you are a licensed professional or also advise the company, check your own rules on referral fees, disclosure and consent before you make the introduction.
Related pages
- Can lawyers accept referral fees? Fee division vs payment for recommendations
- Referral fee vs kickback: what separates them and when to disclose
- First valid referrer vs last touch: how referral credit is decided
- Paid on signed contract vs paid on collected revenue: when a referral reward is earned
- Check Company Fit for Data Licensing
- Which US businesses are a fit for a SourceX data licensing introduction
Free resources
- Enterprise value calculator — Enterprise value from equity value, debt and cash.
- Earnout scenario calculator — Probability-weighted earnout value and its present value.
- Profit margin calculator — Profit and margin across three scenarios.
- All free tools · MCP resource center
By SourceX Partnerships Team · Published 2026-10-09 · Updated 2026-10-09
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