How we make money
Today: none of these are active. Means & Methods Lab is pre-launch, has no vendor partnerships or sponsors, and earns nothing from any tool in the directory.
These are the revenue streams we plan to use, in plain English, and what each can never buy:
| Stream | What it is | What it can never buy |
|---|---|---|
| Paid contractor tool-selection tests | A contractor pays (planned: $2,500) for 3 tools run on their own drawings, with a written report. | Public rankings or what we publish about any vendor. |
| Vendor diagnostics | A vendor pays (planned: $4,000 per package) for a private test. If ever published, it is labeled "Commissioned". | A public score, rank, or removal of a result. |
| Lead / affiliate fees | If you opt in to a demo with a vendor that is a partner, that vendor may pay us a referral fee. Affiliate links are badged. | Order of any list. Shortlists are computed before partner status is checked. |
| Newsletter sponsorships | A clearly labeled sponsor slot in the newsletter. | Editorial coverage or results. |
Rankings are never for sale. This page is linked from every page footer.