Topic 05 of 6
Diligence & metrics: Will my numbers hold up in diligence?
The numbers investors rebuild before they commit: contribution margins, marketplace and quick commerce P&Ls, working capital and payback, plus the data room problems that most often stall a round after the term sheet.
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Blog · 6 min read · 14 Aug 2026Why Good Brands Fail Due Diligence: The 9 Data Room Problems Investors Find in Week Two, and the Real 6 to 10 Week Closing TimelineTerm sheets rarely die because the brand is bad. They die because diligence finds something the founders did not know or did not say. The nine problems we see most, a data room checklist, and a realistic closing timeline.Read this first All diligence & metrics articles
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Diligence & metrics · 8 min readRead article29 Sept 2026Revenue-Based Financing vs Equity for D2C Brands: The ROAS at Which RBF Is Cheaper, and When It Quietly Costs More Than a VC
RBF lenders pitch "non-dilutive growth capital" for your ad spend. At the right ROAS it is far cheaper than equity. At the wrong one it pays the lender and burns your margin. The formula, the real cost and worked examples in rupees.
BlogDiligence & metrics · 5 min readRead article29 Aug 2026CM1, CM2, CM3: The Contribution Margin Math That Quietly Kills Consumer Brand Rounds in Diligence
Rounds stall in diligence when CM2 turns out to be 18%, not the 32% in the deck. How investors calculate CM1, CM2 and CM3, the benchmarks they use, and the seven errors that cause the gap.
BlogDiligence & metrics · 4 min readRead article20 Aug 2026Your Amazon and Quick Commerce Revenue Is Not Your Revenue: How Investors Rebuild a Marketplace P&L Before They Price Your Round
A ₹1 Cr month on Amazon and quick commerce can mean ₹38 lakh of contribution or ₹8 lakh. Investors know the difference and will rebuild your P&L to find it. Here is how, and how to show it first.
BlogDiligence & metrics · 4 min readRead article18 Aug 2026The Working Capital Trap: Why Consumer Brands With Great Margins Still Run Out of Cash Six Months After Raising
A brand growing from ₹50 lakh to ₹1.5 Cr a month can need ₹3 Cr or more just in inventory and receivables. Here is the math founders skip, why investors do not want equity funding it, and what to use instead.
BlogDiligence & metrics · 2 min readRead article7 Aug 2026What investors look for before writing a cheque
Beyond the deck: the numbers, documents and founder behaviour seed and pre-Series A investors check before they commit.
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