Question 1

What is Footnote?

Accepted Answer

Footnote turns public-company evidence, market context, leadership signals, and your offer inputs into career intelligence for one decision. It is personal employer diligence on the company behind your offer — built for the people who actually work there. The flagship product is The Offer Brief: $199, built after checkout and delivered to your dashboard and inbox.

Question 2

What's in an Offer Brief?

Accepted Answer

Every brief delivers a clear verdict on the offer, your placement against the real market wage band, a read on the company behind the offer, a negotiation playbook with word-for-word scripts, red flags, the questions worth asking, and a cited evidence appendix — every serious claim traceable to a source you can open. The Offer Brief deepens the company and role-risk read; Executive adds after-tax and multi-offer analysis for senior packages. Attach a resume and the brief also calibrates to your background.

Question 3

How long does it take to generate?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the company and how much evidence is available. Your brief runs through several analysis passes — company context, market context, leadership signals, fit, risk, then the final read. The status page updates while it works, and a copy lands in your dashboard and inbox, so you don't need to babysit the tab.

Question 4

Can I see a sample brief?

Accepted Answer

Yes — read the public sample to see the structure your brief will have, including the way Footnote turns evidence into a decision-ready read.

Question 5

Is each brief unique or reused?

Accepted Answer

Each brief is assembled for one decision: the company, role, level, location, offer details, timing, and optional resume context you provide. Company evidence can overlap across buyers because public facts are shared, but the read, economics, scripts, and asks are built around your inputs.

Question 6

Who is Footnote for?

Accepted Answer

Anyone with a written job offer from a supported public company — most commonly tech, finance, consulting, biotech, and product roles. The brief is most valuable when the company choice affects your next several years, not just the number on the offer letter.

Question 7

What are the different report types?

Accepted Answer

One research standard, three depths: the free comp check reads any employer's certified market band in sixty seconds; the Lite Brief ($79) is the early-career offer read; the Offer Brief ($199) is the flagship — verdict, company health, negotiation playbook; the Executive Brief ($499) adds the full equity read — what the company actually grants and refreshes at the senior level, from its own filings — plus after-tax equity modeling and multi-offer comparison. The annual Membership ($149/yr) keeps your briefs monitored as new data arrives.

Question 8

Which brief should I buy?

Accepted Answer

If you have a written offer, the Offer Brief ($199) is the flagship. Early-career or a simpler package, the Lite Brief ($79) covers the essentials. Senior role with real equity — or more than one offer to weigh — choose the Executive Brief ($499): it adds the equity read from the company's own filings, after-tax modeling, and side-by-side comparison. Not sure yet? Run the free comp check first.

Question 9

What information do I need to provide?

Accepted Answer

You need the company, role, level, location, and the offer economics you know: base, bonus, equity, signing bonus, and timing. You do not need a perfect offer letter. If you have a resume, upload it for better fit calibration; if not, you can still check out.

Question 10

What happens after checkout?

Accepted Answer

Stripe confirms payment, then Footnote starts building the brief. You'll see a status page while it works through company context, market context, leadership signals, and the final read. When it is ready, it appears in your dashboard and a copy is sent from reports@usefootnote.com.

Question 11

Can I use Footnote without uploading a resume?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Resume upload is optional. Without it, the brief still covers the company, offer economics, comp reality, red flags, and questions to ask. A resume simply helps calibrate fit, credibility, and how aggressively you can frame the ask.

Question 12

Who is Genevieve?

Accepted Answer

I'm Genevieve — the concierge included with every Footnote brief. Once your brief is ready I can explain the verdict, draft your counter-offer in your voice, benchmark your number against today's market, and check back in before the conversation happens. I'm AI, working from your brief and live data — and a human at hello@usefootnote.com is always one message away.

Question 13

Where does your data come from?

Accepted Answer

Footnote uses public-company evidence, market context, leadership signals, and proprietary analysis patterns. We keep the internal methodology private, but the brief is designed to show enough support for the claims you need to defend.

Question 14

Does the AI hallucinate numbers?

Accepted Answer

Numbers are grounded in retrieved evidence and validation checks — not invented. The narrative layer is constrained by the evidence Footnote has assembled, and unsupported claims should not appear in the brief. The product is built to reduce confident-sounding guesswork, not decorate it.

Question 15

Who built Footnote?

Accepted Answer

Footnote was built by an operator with a background in finance and SaaS. We're an independent service — not affiliated with LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or any company we report on. You can reach us at hello@usefootnote.com anytime.

Question 16

Are you affiliated with LinkedIn?

Accepted Answer

No. Footnote is independent. We don't access your LinkedIn account, contacts, or messages. We're not affiliated with any of the companies we generate briefs on.

Question 17

How current is the data?

Accepted Answer

Footnote uses the latest available company evidence and market context it can retrieve for the decision. If a company has thin public evidence or a signal is weak, the brief should say that instead of pretending certainty.

Question 18

What if there is not enough data?

Accepted Answer

The brief should label gaps instead of filling them with fluff. If evidence is missing, Footnote narrows the claim, lowers confidence, or leaves that signal out. For paid reports, an all-template or unusable brief should fail closed rather than be sealed as ready.

Question 19

Can I verify the sources myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The brief is built to show support for important claims without exposing Footnote's full research map. The point is not to sound smart; it is to give you evidence you can defend while protecting the internal system that assembled it.

Question 20

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

The Offer Brief is $199, one-time. No subscription, no upsells. It is a decision instrument for the company behind your next several years, not a tip sheet for one conversation.

Question 21

What's your refund policy?

Accepted Answer

Full refund within 7 days of delivery, no questions asked. Email hello@usefootnote.com with your order ID and we will route it same-day.

Question 22

Is it worth the price?

Accepted Answer

A $199 brief is cheap if it changes one question you ask, one risk you spot, or one term you negotiate before signing. If the brief does not deliver, the refund is no-questions-asked within 7 days of delivery.

Question 23

Do you support private companies?

Accepted Answer

A full paid brief needs public filings — the company-health verdict and score are built from SEC financials a private company doesn't file, so a paid brief on a private company isn't live yet. But the free comp check still works on a private employer: it shows what the public record holds — the certified federal wage filings on record (with the seniority mix) and any WARN layoff notices — just without the company-health score. Drop your email on that result and you're on the list the moment deeper private coverage opens. And if you want ongoing eyes on a private employer, Company Watch already covers them — layoff notices, state referrals, OSHA and DOL enforcement are filed by name, not ticker.

Question 24

Do you offer bundles or discounts?

Accepted Answer

Pricing is pay-per-decision — no bundles. If you're weighing several offers, the Executive Brief includes multi-offer comparison in one purchase, and the annual Membership ($149/yr) is the best value for ongoing monitoring. If you have a promotion code, enter it in Stripe Checkout; current pricing is on /pricing.

Question 25

How do I pay?

Accepted Answer

Stripe handles checkout — credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link. We don't store card details; Stripe does.

Question 26

Is Footnote a subscription?

Accepted Answer

No subscription. Footnote is pay-once per brief because career decisions are episodic. You buy the brief you need, use it for the decision in front of you, and come back only when another decision is worth researching.

Question 27

My promo code is not working

Accepted Answer

Promotion codes, when available, are entered inside Stripe Checkout. If a code does not apply, check spelling and expiration first. If it still fails, email hello@usefootnote.com with the code before purchasing so support can verify it.

Question 28

Can I get a receipt or invoice?

Accepted Answer

Stripe emails the receipt to the checkout email. If you need it for reimbursement, search your inbox for Stripe or Footnote first. If it is missing, email hello@usefootnote.com with the receipt email and we can help locate the payment record.

Question 29

My payment failed

Accepted Answer

Stripe handles payment authorization. If the payment failed, try another card or wallet and confirm the billing ZIP. If you think you were charged but no brief appeared, email hello@usefootnote.com with the Stripe receipt email before retrying.

Question 30

What do you do with my data?

Accepted Answer

Encrypted in transit and at rest. We don't sell, share, or use your data for AI training. Your offer details stay attached to your brief so you can re-open and re-run it; delete the brief — or your whole account — any time from your account page. Your access is revoked right away, and the data is purged from live systems within 7 days (encrypted backups within 30), matching our Privacy Policy. We're not in the data business — we're in the brief business.

Question 31

Do you use my data to train AI?

Accepted Answer

No. Your inputs (company, role, offer details) are passed to AI providers solely to generate your brief, with training opted out at the API level. We retain nothing for model improvement.

Question 32

Can I delete my data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sign in, go to Account settings at /account → Delete account, and your account data is queued for deletion. The privacy policy allows up to 7 days for full deletion across systems. If you'd rather email hello@usefootnote.com, we can help route it.

Question 33

Will the company find out I ran a brief on them?

Accepted Answer

No. We never contact companies, we never identify users to anyone, and the brief is for your eyes only. Footnote works from external company evidence and your inputs; it does not notify the employer.

Question 34

What happens to my resume?

Accepted Answer

Resume upload is optional and used only to parse role, seniority, skills, and career context for personalization. The raw file is parsed in memory or temporary storage and is not treated as a public profile. You can skip it and still buy a brief.

Question 35

Is the share link private?

Accepted Answer

Share links are controlled by you. When enabled, the link expires after 14 days and can redact personal compensation details. Treat it like any private link: share only with people you trust, then turn it off when you are done.

Question 36

Are my conversations with Genevieve private?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your brief and your conversations with me are never used to train AI models, never shared, and never public. They exist to help you decide — nothing else. Your employer is never contacted, and nothing about your brief is visible to anyone but you.

Question 37

My magic link isn't working

Accepted Answer

Magic links expire after 60 minutes. Request a new one from the sign-in page. If it still doesn't arrive, check your spam folder for mail from reports@usefootnote.com, then email us at hello@usefootnote.com with the email address you used.

Question 38

I didn't get my brief email

Accepted Answer

Two things to check. First, your spam folder — look for reports@usefootnote.com. Second, your dashboard at usefootnote.com/dashboard — the brief lives there regardless of email delivery. If neither shows it, email hello@usefootnote.com with your order ID or Stripe receipt email.

Question 39

I paid but cannot find my brief

Accepted Answer

Sign in with the email on your Stripe receipt first. New buyers sometimes check an earlier session email while the brief is attached to the checkout receipt email. If it still is not visible, email hello@usefootnote.com with the receipt email and order ID.

Question 40

My brief is stuck or failed

Accepted Answer

Generation can keep running after you close the browser, so check the dashboard first. If the report shows failed, Footnote either queues a recovery path or routes a refund depending on the payment state. Email hello@usefootnote.com with your order ID if the dashboard does not clearly show the next step.

Question 41

Can I download the brief as a PDF?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The PDF download button is in the top-right of every brief. The PDF preserves citations and is formatted for printing or sharing.

Question 42

Can I run a brief on a different company?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each brief is priced individually (Lite $79, Offer $199, Executive $499) and there's no limit — some people run several during an active search. If you're weighing multiple offers against each other, the Executive Brief compares them side by side in one purchase.

Question 43

Can I share my brief with someone?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each brief has a share toggle that generates a public link. Share links expire after 14 days when enabled. You control whether your personal salary numbers are redacted in the shared version — the analysis stays intact either way.

Question 44

My resume upload failed

Accepted Answer

Use a DOCX or text-based PDF under 5 MB. Legacy .doc files, scanned PDFs, image-only PDFs, and password-protected files may fail. A failed resume upload does not block checkout; you can reupload or continue without resume context.

Question 45

Can I change my inputs after checkout?

Accepted Answer

If the brief has not started yet, email hello@usefootnote.com immediately with the order ID and corrected details. Once generation is underway, changes may require support intervention or a new brief. The checkout form includes guards for obvious comp typos, but it cannot catch everything.

Question 46

Can you regenerate my brief?

Accepted Answer

For quality issues, email hello@usefootnote.com with the order ID and what looks wrong. Support can review whether the brief needs regeneration, a data-quality fix, or a refund path. Do not buy another brief for the same issue until support checks it.

Question 47

I don't have an offer yet — can I still use this?

Accepted Answer

Start with the free comp check — company, role, metro, sixty seconds — to see the certified market band before you're deep in the process. When an offer lands, the brief takes over: verdict, company health, and the exact words to negotiate. Plenty of people run the check on every company on their target list.

Question 48

Can I evaluate my current employer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Run a brief on your current employer exactly as you would on an offer — same evidence standard, focused on cash runway, layoff signals, and whether your equity is likely to be worth what HR told you. Useful before requesting a retention package or before a recruiter calls. Members also get drift alerts when the picture changes after the brief.

Question 49

Can this help with long-term career planning?

Accepted Answer

Start with an Offer Brief on each company and compare the Five-Year Forecast. It is useful when you're deciding between two roles that look similar today but could put you on very different trajectories.

Question 50

Can Footnote help compare multiple offers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Executive Brief includes multi-offer comparison — the same research standard applied to each company, laid side by side: outlook, comp reality, leadership signals, red flags, and the asks. If you hold multiple briefs, I can also compare them for you right here.

Question 51

Can this help with equity-heavy offers?

Accepted Answer

Yes — equity is where the Executive Brief earns its keep. It reads how this company actually treats equity: what it genuinely grants and refreshes at the senior level and what the top of the house takes home, from the company's own filings — filed, not surveyed — plus after-tax modeling (RSU/ISO/NSO, AMT). Footnote does not give investment advice; it gives you the factual anchor for the equity conversation.

Question 52

Is Footnote useful for lower compensation offers?

Accepted Answer

It can help, but the ROI is clearest when the decision or compensation is large enough that one better question or one avoided mistake matters. If the offer is modest, read the sample first and buy only if the structure feels useful for your decision.

Question 53

How is this different from Levels.fyi?

Accepted Answer

Levels.fyi tells you what people got paid. Footnote tells you what to ask for and why — grounded in company-specific evidence, current priorities, and decision context. Use both: Levels for the comp anchor, Footnote for the negotiation argument.

Question 54

How is this different from Glassdoor?

Accepted Answer

Glassdoor is what people felt. Footnote is structured employer diligence for a decision you need to defend. Anonymous reviews can help with vibe; Footnote focuses on evidence, trajectory, risk, and leverage.

Question 55

Can't I just ask ChatGPT this?

Accepted Answer

Try it — and you'll see the gap. A generic chatbot can summarize what you paste into it, but it is not built to assemble a company-specific evidence file, cross-check the numbers, and turn that into asks you can defend. The $199 buys the research discipline and receipts, not generic prose.

Question 56

Why not just hire a negotiation coach?

Accepted Answer

A good negotiation coach is $300-1,500 and worth it if you're nervous about delivery. Footnote is the data they'd want you to bring to the conversation. The brief is the homework; the coach is the rehearsal. They're complements, not substitutes.

Question 57

I'm not sure if this is right for me

Accepted Answer

Read a sample first. If it gives you questions you would not have asked on your own, your brief should too. If it doesn't, you've saved $199. The refund is 7 days, no-questions, so even after buying you're not locked in.

Question 58

Tell me more before I buy

Accepted Answer

The fastest way is the sample brief — it shows the actual depth and the citations. The second fastest is the homepage scroll, which walks through the eight sections with real examples. After that, if you still have questions, hello@usefootnote.com gets a same-day reply.

Question 59

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Click Start Your Brief. Enter the company ticker and your offer details (base, equity, level). Stripe handles checkout, then Footnote builds the brief and delivers it to your dashboard and inbox when it's ready.

Question 60

I need this before a call today

Accepted Answer

Footnote starts after checkout and shows progress while it works, but delivery time depends on company evidence and source availability. If your call is imminent, buy only if the wait still fits your timeline; otherwise use the sample to frame questions and email support if timing is critical.

Question 61

I already accepted the offer — is it too late?

Accepted Answer

It may still help with onboarding questions, risk awareness, and understanding the company, but the negotiation value is lower after signing. If you still have open terms or a competing offer, it can be useful. If everything is final, read the sample before buying.

Question 62

Do you offer team or enterprise plans?

Accepted Answer

Coaches and recruiters can self-serve on /teams — buy a bundled credit pack, co-brand briefs with your practice name, and send clients a private full-brief link (or copy the link). Credits redeem 1:1 at list prices; packs include a bonus so you get more credit than you pay. There is also a Beta tester pilot: apply on /partner/beta, we review your practice, and if approved you get $300 starter credits — not automatic free credits for signing up. Promo codes for a free brief work only on card checkout, not while using credits. Programs or volume/custom pricing: email hello@usefootnote.com.

Question 63

Can you write my resume?

Accepted Answer

We do not sell standalone resume writing. You can optionally upload a resume so Footnote can calibrate role fit, negotiation credibility, and profile feedback inside your brief. The raw file is discarded after parsing.

Question 64

Can you negotiate for me?

Accepted Answer

No — we give you the ammunition, you make the ask. The brief includes specific scripts for three negotiation postures (conservative, aggressive, competing-offer) so you can walk into the conversation with words on the page.

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