Tools

Pilot Cost & First-PO Estimator

Model the economics of your first paid plant trial and the purchase order that can follow it. Live numbers. No login required.

Model the economics of your first paid plant trial and the purchase order that can follow. All numbers update live. Use it to pressure-test pricing, volume, and what the desk fee actually leaves you.

Trial inputs

62%

Desk fee model

12%

Pilot payment shown for reference only. The estimator focuses on the first purchase order that typically follows a successful trial.

Live estimate

Estimated first-PO revenue
$264,000
Founder gross margin
$163,680
at 62%
Desk fee
$31,680
12% of PO
Founder net after desk
$132,000

What a pilot is worth beyond the PO

A paid pilot is not only the first revenue. It is a named buyer reference, a control-vs-treated data set you can show investors, and proof that a plant will run your material at scale. That signal is worth more than the dollars on the first PO when you raise.

This is a simple model. Real pilots include line time, sampling, and the buyer's internal costs. Use the numbers as a starting point for conversations with your team and the desk. The actual fee terms are in the offer you accept before an introduction.

Get your project readiness score

Free. Takes two minutes. Tells you if you are ready for a paid trial.

First Yes earns a fee only on the first PO that results from an introduction we make. Use this tool to understand the cash flow for you as the founder. The actual terms you accept before we name a buyer are in the offer.