Signals · Good fit
Facts about the company that make it worth watching in the first place.
What are good fit signals?
Good-fit signals describe the company, not the moment: the tools it uses, the money it raised, a team that owns your problem, people you both know. They answer "could they buy?" rather than "will they buy now?". Use them to decide which companies to watch and how much effort each deserves, then wait for a timing signal.
How to use them
At a glance
| Signal | What it means | Strength | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| TsTech stack adjacency | The company uses tools that pair well with yours. | Slow to change | |
| MwMultiple workspaces created by single org | Several teams in one company adopt separately. | Slow to change | |
| NiNew integration connected | The product gets wired into another core tool. | Slow to change | |
| RtRound-tripping (contacts from a vendor used internally) | People from a vendor you use work at a target account. | Slow to change | |
| ShShared opportunities across partners | A partner is working the same account. | Slow to change | |
| IfInfluencer follow | Follows the voices your buyers trust. | Slow to change | |
| CrCapital raised/new funding secured | Fresh budget and growth plans. | Useful for about a month | |
| AtAnalytics tag added to website | New tracking tags show maturing marketing. | Slow to change | |
| AdAdvertising tracking tag added to website | New ad pixels show growing paid investment. | Slow to change | |
| SdShared investor | You share an investor with the account. | Slow to change | |
| SvShared advisor | You share an advisor with the account. | Slow to change | |
| EsEvent sponsorship | A company sponsors events in your space. | Slow to change | |
| SgSurge or decline in website traffic | Traffic swings hint at growth or trouble. | Slow to change | |
| SnShared connections (colleague) | A colleague knows someone there. | Slow to change | |
| MtMandate team exists | A titled team owns the problem you solve, with visible output. | Slow to change | |
| CdCommittee depth reached | Three or more contacts across two teams, one at Director level or above. | Slow to change |
Signal by signal
The company uses tools that pair well with yours.
Several teams in one company adopt separately.
The product gets wired into another core tool.
People from a vendor you use work at a target account.
A partner is working the same account.
Follows the voices your buyers trust.
Fresh budget and growth plans.
New tracking tags show maturing marketing.
New ad pixels show growing paid investment.
You share an investor with the account.
You share an advisor with the account.
A company sponsors events in your space.
Traffic swings hint at growth or trouble.
A colleague knows someone there.
A titled team owns the problem you solve, with visible output.
Three or more contacts across two teams, one at Director level or above.
Time windows are starting points, not benchmarks. Tune them to what actually turns into meetings for you. Signal names adapted from Common Room’s signal library.
Other groups
The best openings come from mixing groups: a good-fit company, plus an act-now event, plus some warming-up interest.
Something just changed at the company. The door is open, but not for long.
40 signalsInterest is building. One on its own means little. Two or three together mean it is time.
47 signalsSignals you design around what you sell. Harder to find, and your competitors will not have them.
9 signalsFit is who the company is: size, industry, tools, team. Intent is what the company is doing right now. Good teams score them separately, use fit to pick accounts and intent to pick the moment.
Funding shows a company can spend and plans to grow, so it is a strong fit signal. On its own it rarely tells you when they will buy your product, so pair it with a timing signal.
Quarterly is enough for most companies. Size, funding and tools change slowly. Check more often for fast-growing startups.