The target runs on paper
No modern cloud stack means no metadata to read. Zoe will report coverage too low to score, and you’ll want people on site.
Zoe vs. due diligence consultants
Different instruments. Not a like-for-like swap.
Most funds will use both, and this page is written on that assumption. A consultant brings judgment, industry pattern-matching, and a person in the room. Zoe brings measurement, speed, and a traceable number. Here is where each one is the better tool.
| Dimension | Consulting engagement | Zoe |
|---|---|---|
| Time to readout | 6–8 weeks, scoped and staffed | Inside 24 hours of the run |
| What it measures | What people say, in structured interviews | What teams did, in the systems the target connected, held against the deck; one scored Founder Call |
| Industry judgment | Deep, and the reason you hire them | None on your industry. Zoe measures behavior and signs an opinion on it; she does not advise on strategy |
| Traceability | Cited selectively in the appendix | Every figure opens to its pull in one click |
| Cost shape | Per engagement, scales with scope | Per report, per month, or custom for the firm |
| Works on a paper-based target | Yes. People go on site | No. Coverage reported too low to score |
| Signs an opinion | Yes, on the scope engaged | Yes, when confidence clears the bar; the memo says why when it does not |
Choose honestly
When not to use Zoe.
You need an accounting, legal or market opinion
A quality-of-earnings opinion, a legal position, or a market size needs a firm in that discipline to stand behind it. Zoe signs an operational opinion on the behavior it measured, and only that.
The question is about the future plan
Zoe reads what the company has done. Whether the next strategy is the right one is a judgment call, and a person should make it.