We do the acquisition date. In part because the company was started by one person (the founder) and that date has less specific resonance for the team. A good portion of the team still remembers the acquisition date, and how many changes date back to that time.

^redacted‌ One way to think about this is that AI can be really helpful for surfacing questions and patterns (like inflated COGS), but it’s not a substitute for accountability when you get closer to a real decision. Early on, I’ve found it’s reasonable to use AI and your own work to screen deals and decide whether something is worth pursuing. Once you’re moving toward an LOI or exclusivity, that’s usually when a CPA and attorney start to matter — not to find the deal, but to help you avoid expensive, irreversible mistakes. In terms of cost, many people keep costs down by: doing as much upfront diligence themselves as possible asking very specific questions when they do engage professionals bringing them in progressively rather than all at once Curious how others here sequence this — especially where they’ve seen professional help pay for itself vs. where it felt premature.