How to describe data sources during an initial company referral

How to Describe Data Sources During an Initial Company Referral

When referring a business to SourceX, your role is to make the introduction and provide a high-level overview of the company's potential data assets. It's crucial to understand that you are never required to export, upload, or describe confidential records yourself. Your focus should be on the metadata – the descriptive information about the data, not the data itself.

Focus on Metadata, Not Content

To help SourceX understand the opportunity, you should be able to convey key characteristics of the company's proprietary operational data. Think about the type of data, its source, its structure, and its potential relevance to AI buyer programs. This allows for an initial assessment without breaching any confidentiality.

Key Information to Share (Metadata Level):

When describing a referred company's data potential, consider these points:

Data Category/Domain: What industry or business function does the data relate to? Illustrative: Is it customer support interaction data, logistics optimization data, or internal product development documentation? Source of Data: How is the data generated or collected? Illustrative: Is it from their internal CRM, project management systems, manufacturing line sensors, or proprietary research? Emphasize that it's original documentation or first-party operational records. Data Type/Format: What form does the data typically take? Illustrative: Structured databases (e.g., transaction logs), unstructured text (e.g., support tickets, technical manuals), time-series data (e.g., sensor readings), or visual data (e.g., inspection photos). Scale and Longevity: Approximately how much data exists, and over what period? Illustrative: "Several terabytes collected over the last five years," or "daily operational data since 2010." Uniqueness/Proprietary Nature: Why is this data valuable and unique to this company? Illustrative: "Contains unique insights into highly specialized industrial processes," or "reflects a decade of customer interactions in a niche market." Potential Use Cases (High-Level): What kind of problems could this data potentially help solve for an AI buyer? Illustrative: "Could inform predictive maintenance models," or "might train LLMs for industry-specific customer service."

Remember, you are not validating the data's content or quality, but rather indicating its existence and nature.

What NOT to Share

It's equally important to know what information you should not share during the initial referral process:

Specific confidential content: Never share actual customer lists, trade secrets, sensitive financial figures, or any specific operational data. Exported files or data samples: You are not expected to retrieve or send any data files. Personal consumer data or scraped data: These are generally not a fit for SourceX programs (see [/who-qualifies](/who-qualifies)). Specific terms or valuations: Do not discuss potential deal sizes or specific payout figures, as these are determined during the evaluation process.

The Company Controls the Data

After your introduction, the referred company will engage directly with SourceX. They decide what data scope to offer, under an agreement that protects their interests. SourceX then manages evaluation, permissions, contracting, preparation, delivery, and payment collection. Your role is primarily to open the door, providing enough context for SourceX to recognize a potential opportunity.

For a preliminary, non-binding screening of a company's general suitability, try the company fit checker.

Understand the full process in detail on our /how-it-works page.

Rewards are calculated as 25% of SourceX's eligible collected platform fees, capped at $100,000 per referred company. A lead, meeting or signed agreement alone does not trigger payment. See the program terms.