Data consultancy for small and mid-sized businesses
Find the signal in your numbers.
You send the spreadsheets, invoices and exports you already have. In six weeks you get three to five findings you can act on, each traced to its source, and a way to measure whether acting on them paid off.
- You do not install anything. We work from your existing exports.
The process
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01
sigmacollect
Every record you have, in one working set.
We pull the figures out of your exports, contracts, maps, reviews and spreadsheets into one working set. We do not retype anything by hand, so the numbers arrive as they were entered.
14sources on a typical engagement (est.) -
02
signatureverify
Every number is verified for accuracy. Any numbers that cannot be proven are flagged.
We remove duplicates, then flag orphans and stale entries. We trace every figure that stays back to the record it came from and the person who entered it.
0figures delivered without a traced source -
03
signalfind
What the numbers say you should change.
After collecting and verifying the data, we look for insights that actually matter. A data point means nothing unless you can act on it.
3 to 5findings per engagement, ranked by value -
04
significanceprove
Actionable insights are checked against their results.
Each finding becomes an action with a baseline and a measurement window. When the window closes we report the measured change and how confident we are in it, including when the change did not happen.
How an engagement works
Six weeks from the first call to the final report.
The scope and the fee are fixed and agreed on the first call, before any work starts. You see the findings before you commit to anything further.
- Week 0
A free 20-minute call
You bring one question and one export. We tell you whether the data can answer it, what the work involves and what it would cost. If someone else would do the job better, we will give you a name.
- Weeks 1 to 2
Collect and verify
You send exports in whatever format they are in. We work in an encrypted copy, remove duplicates, orphans and stale rows, and show you the count of each.
- Weeks 3 to 6
Find and prove
You get a short report with three to five findings, ranked by what they are worth. Each one comes with the decision it points to and how we will measure whether that decision worked.
About
Who you will be working with.
I'm Alwin Hui, the founder of Signum Insights, and I do the analysis myself. Before this I led the data analytics team in Deloitte's global aviation practice, where we worked with 170+ airline clients on problems like COVID-19, fuel costs and decarbonization mandates. I co-founded Proscia, a digital pathology company that sold for $270M. I have also sat on the investment committees of several venture capital firms, where I reviewed and advised hundreds of startups.
Every one of those jobs came down to the same thing: a lot of records, and not enough time to work out what they mean. Most small businesses have the same problem and fewer people to throw at it, which is why I started this.
I have an MBA and an MS from Stanford and an MS in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins. I grew up in San Diego. Outside work I ski, hike, and am trying to visit every country in the world (50+ so far).
- StanfordMBA
MS Environment and Resources - Johns HopkinsMS Computer Science
BS Biomedical Engineering - DeloitteTeam lead, global aviation practice
- ProsciaCo-founder, sold for $270M
Common questions
Who is this for?
Owners and operators of small and mid-sized businesses whose records sit in several places: accounting software, a point of sale, spreadsheets, PDFs, an inbox. Nobody on the team has the time to read them together. If you already have an analyst and a clean data warehouse, you probably do not need us.
What happens on the call?
Alwin opens your file with you, tells you what it already shows and what it would take to be sure. By the end you know whether the data can answer your question and roughly what the fixed fee would be. If it is not a job for us, we will tell you.
What do I need to send you?
Whatever you have, in the format it is already in: exports from your accounting or point of sale system, spreadsheets, PDF invoices and contracts, review and support exports. One CSV and a one-line question is enough to start.
Is my data clean enough?
It does not need to be. Cleaning it is step two. We expect duplicates, orphans and stale rows, and the report tells you how many of each we found.
How much of my time does it take?
The 20-minute call, then sending the files. After that we only come back to you when a question about the data needs an answer from someone who knows the business. You see the report at the end of week six.
Is my data safe?
We work in an encrypted copy of your exports and use it only for your engagement. The privacy page has the details.
What if there is nothing worth finding?
We tell you. Sometimes that is already obvious on the first call. If it only becomes clear during the work, it goes in the report and you are not charged for the next step.
How many clients do you take on?
Five at a time, so I can do the analysis myself. If I am full, I will tell you on the call and give you the next start date.
What does it cost?
A fixed fee per engagement, set by the scope of work and agreed before anything starts. You get the estimate on the free call, and nothing is charged before you agree to it.
Start here
Bring one spreadsheet and one question.
A free 20-minute call with Alwin, who does the analysis himself. By the end of it you will know what your file already shows, whether it can answer your question, and you will have a fixed fee to think about. Nothing is charged until you agree to the scope and the fee.
I run five engagements at a time, so the next open start is November.