Who to talk to first — with their commitment level
Example candidate cards. Accessible labels describe each row.
app.resultory.com/candidates
J. Okafor — Site LeadInterviewed
Level 4/7
M. Patel — QSReplied
Level 2/7
R. Singh — DirectorNot contacted
Level 1/7
- J. Okafor — reached "Interviewed", level 4 of 7.
- M. Patel — reached "Replied", level 2 of 7.
- R. Singh — not contacted, level 1 of 7.
The commitment ladder
Seven rungs, bottom to top. "Receptive" is the midline — everything below is interest, everything above is commitment.
- PaidCommitment
- Evidence
- Committed money.
- Next level
- Renews or refers.
- The gap
- First payment is the milestone — not the finish line.
- Piloted
- Evidence
- Used the product in real work.
- Next level
- Commits money.
- The gap
- Free use proves willingness to try. Only money proves willingness to value.
- Demoed
- Evidence
- Saw the product in action.
- Next level
- Uses the product in real work.
- The gap
- A demo is a show. A pilot is use. Don't confuse the two.
- Interviewed
- Evidence
- Shared a problem or workflow.
- Next level
- Sees the product in action.
- The gap
- They described the problem — but have they seen how you'd solve it?
- ReceptiveMidline
- Evidence
- Agreed to a conversation.
- Next level
- Shares a problem or workflow.
- The gap
- Midline. Everything below is interest. Everything above is commitment.
- Engaged
- Evidence
- Responded to outreach or content.
- Next level
- Agrees to a conversation.
- The gap
- A reply is not a conversation. Ask for time, not a meeting about the product.
- Aware
- Evidence
- Knows the product exists.
- Next level
- Responds to outreach or content.
- The gap
- No response yet — this is interest, not commitment.
What you see for each candidate
J. Okafor
Site Lead • Mid-tier firms
- Evidence supporting this level
- Described the re-survey workflow and shared two examples.
- Last interaction
- 14 Aug 2026
- Recommended next move
- Show a short demo focused on the re-survey step.
- What moves them one rung higher
- They trial the product on one live site.
What this prevents
A founder spending months on a contact who replies to every email but never offers ten minutes of their time.
Replies and likes are not commitment. The ladder keeps you honest about what people have actually agreed to.