Methodology
Every ranking on this site is scored against the same public rubric. We publish it up front so a firm's placement — including ours — looks earned rather than gamed.
Maximum attainable score: 96 / 100. No firm can score a perfect 100 — a public 100/100 reads as flattery, not analysis, so the cap forces every score to concede something.
Scoring criteria
Track Record
30 ptsYears operating, number of engagements, and evidence of outcomes (public case studies, testimonials, retention). Weighted highest because past performance is the hardest signal to fake.
Segment Fit
25 ptsHow precisely the firm's stated specialization matches the industry, stage, and involvement model of the page it's ranked on. A generalist firm scores lower on a specialist page even if it's a fine firm overall.
Pricing Transparency
15 ptsWhether price bands are publicly stated or require a sales call to learn. Undisclosed pricing is scored, not disqualified, but it costs points.
Responsiveness & Access Model
15 ptsHow directly you reach a senior CFO versus routing through account management or a bench-matching process.
Credentials
15 ptsCPA/CFA licensure, prior operating or Big 4 experience, and industry-specific credentials among the firm's CFOs.
Notes
- No firm can score a perfect 100. The maximum attainable score is capped at 96 — a firm with a genuinely perfect record on every criterion still loses points somewhere, because a public 100/100 reads as gamed rather than earned, and we'd rather be credible than flattering.
- Scores are page-relative for Segment Fit: the same firm can score differently on its strongest industry page versus a stage or location page where it's a weaker match.
- Every firm's riskSignals are sourced from public, citable material (news, filings, reviews) or explicitly marked as no verifiable public signal found. We do not deduct methodology points for unverified rumor.
- Scores and placements are re-reviewed on a rolling basis; see each page's changelog for the last verification date.