What is behind
your estimate?
25 observed calculator scenarios. One specific planning figure. Every step explained.
We recorded the lower and upper payouts shown by micro1’s public U.S. calculator, then built a reproducible way to look up or interpolate between those observations. Our headline number is the rounded midpoint of the source interval. It gives you a figure to discuss without claiming that the buyer’s uncertainty has disappeared.
Model 2026-10-23.2 · observed 2026-10-23 · U.S. dollars
Read the 25-scenario research and chart
What this number means
This is a planning benchmark derived from a public calculator, not a price established by a completed deal. A midpoint is our presentation choice. It is not an expected value, a most-likely offer, an acceptance probability, or a statistical confidence interval.
micro1 labels its output an indicative payout estimate. It does not specify whether that amount is gross or net, one-time or annual, or tied to a particular license duration, exclusivity arrangement, or fee schedule. We do not add those meanings. Final commercial terms need a buyer’s review.
No deal means $0 revenue. A buyer may decline, or offer less or more than the source interval. Ownership, permitted use, usable records, and actual demand still matter.
1. Record a defined set of source outputs
On October 23, 2026, we tested five employee counts—30, 50, 100, 150, and 200—against five lengths of history—3, 4, 5, 7, and 10 years. We selected the United States in every scenario. These 25 combinations are calculator observations, not 25 businesses, offers, or transactions. We also retained two separately observed input pairs, 40 employees / 4 years and 60 employees / 5 years.
The observations were read from the completed public calculator responses. We did not submit an application or send organization records. The snapshot is dated and versioned; your estimate is not a live call to micro1.
2. Match your inputs, or interpolate inside the grid
If your employee count and years exactly match a recorded pair, we use its observed lower and upper values. Otherwise, we find the surrounding employee counts and years in the grid and interpolate each endpoint separately.
For employee count E, the upper-count weight is u = (E − E₀) / (E₁ − E₀). For years Y, the upper-year weight is v = (Y − Y₀) / (Y₁ − Y₀). The four surrounding observations receive weights (1−u)(1−v), u(1−v), (1−u)v, and uv. Those weights sum to 1. If one input is already on a grid line, only the other input is interpolated.
Multiply each observed lower endpoint by its weight and add the results; repeat for the upper endpoint. Round each interpolated endpoint to the nearest whole dollar. We retain the observations and weights in the estimate record. This approximates the displayed source calculator between sampled points; it does not reproduce its undisclosed internal formula.
3. Take the midpoint and round it
Midpoint = (lower endpoint + upper endpoint) ÷ 2
Planning figure = midpoint rounded to the nearest $5,000
Every current sampled scenario uses that $5,000 rounding step. The code also defines a $1,000 step for a midpoint below $100,000, although none of the current grid or checkpoint observations falls there. A half-step rounds upward. The original or interpolated interval remains visible in your result details.
We do not invent a narrower range around the midpoint. We also do not add a premium for more selected record categories, or invent percentage discounts for uncertain rights, incomplete records, or nonprofit status. Those answers change the conditions and recommended next steps.
Worked example: 40 employees, four years
For this exact observed U.S. scenario, micro1 displayed $211,881–$394,085. The midpoint is ($211,881 + $394,085) ÷ 2 = $302,983. Rounded to the nearest $5,000, the planning estimate is $305,000.
The result shows $305,000 prominently and preserves $211,881–$394,085 in its details. It does not describe $305,000 as a promised payment, net proceeds, or annual revenue.
Worked example: 75 employees, six years
This input lies halfway between 50 and 100 employees, and halfway between 5 and 7 years. Each of the four surrounding observations therefore receives a 25% weight.
| Observed scenario | Lower endpoint | Upper endpoint | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 people / 5 years | $239,192 | $462,638 | 25% |
| 50 people / 7 years | $257,874 | $519,368 | 25% |
| 100 people / 5 years | $329,633 | $677,356 | 25% |
| 100 people / 7 years | $349,496 | $761,649 | 25% |
The weighted endpoints, rounded to whole dollars, are $294,049 and $605,253. Their midpoint is $449,651, so the headline becomes $450,000. This is an interpolated reference, not an additional observation of micro1’s calculator.
What our two additional checks establish
We compared grid-only interpolation with the separately observed 40-person / 4-year and 60-person / 5-year results. In each check, the lower endpoint matched to the dollar and the upper endpoint differed by $1; the rounded headline was unchanged. These are two spot checks of the approximation. They do not establish the accuracy of a real-world sale price or guarantee the same agreement everywhere in the grid. The live estimator uses the directly observed values at those two exact pairs.
Unknown inputs, smaller teams, and specialist collections
- Outside 30–200 employees or 3–10 years: we show the nearest sampled boundary as a reference and identify the substituted input. We do not extrapolate a price for your organization.
- Unknown employee count or history: the missing input uses a visibly labeled reference of 50 employees or 5 years. Your answer remains unknown in the saved inquiry.
- Standalone media, research, or knowledge collections: the tool shows the fixed 50-person / 5-year business-operations reference. It explicitly does not value your collection. Collection volume, format, provenance, and specific buyer demand require a separate review.
- Nonprofits: the business benchmark is a discussion reference. It is not calibrated to nonprofit transactions, and it does not establish eligibility with a particular buyer.
- Incomplete or uncertain records: the result is marked as a reference needing review. We do not apply an unsupported numerical quality discount.
Every figure uses a U.S. source scenario. An organization elsewhere needs geographic review. Rights and authority remain separate conditions: a number on this screen cannot create permission to license material. If you state that the organization lacks the rights, the current licensing opportunity is $0 without obtaining them.
The complete observed grid
The first two amount columns are micro1’s displayed values, recorded on 2026-10-23. The final column is our rounded midpoint. All figures are USD; none is a report of a completed North Fox transaction.
| Employees | Years | Observed low | Observed high | Our rounded midpoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 3 | $184,925 | $331,045 | $260,000 |
| 30 | 4 | $193,911 | $353,898 | $275,000 |
| 30 | 5 | $203,016 | $376,750 | $290,000 |
| 30 | 7 | $221,225 | $422,455 | $320,000 |
| 30 | 10 | $248,539 | $491,013 | $370,000 |
| 50 | 3 | $220,510 | $405,908 | $315,000 |
| 50 | 4 | $229,851 | $434,273 | $330,000 |
| 50 | 5 | $239,192 | $462,638 | $350,000 |
| 50 | 7 | $257,874 | $519,368 | $390,000 |
| 50 | 10 | $285,896 | $604,463 | $445,000 |
| 100 | 3 | $309,770 | $593,064 | $450,000 |
| 100 | 4 | $319,701 | $635,210 | $475,000 |
| 100 | 5 | $329,633 | $677,356 | $505,000 |
| 100 | 7 | $349,496 | $761,649 | $555,000 |
| 100 | 10 | $379,290 | $888,088 | $635,000 |
| 150 | 3 | $399,029 | $780,220 | $590,000 |
| 150 | 4 | $409,551 | $836,148 | $625,000 |
| 150 | 5 | $420,073 | $892,075 | $655,000 |
| 150 | 7 | $441,117 | $1,003,930 | $725,000 |
| 150 | 10 | $472,684 | $1,171,713 | $820,000 |
| 200 | 3 | $488,288 | $967,376 | $730,000 |
| 200 | 4 | $499,401 | $1,037,085 | $770,000 |
| 200 | 5 | $510,514 | $1,106,794 | $810,000 |
| 200 | 7 | $532,739 | $1,246,211 | $890,000 |
| 200 | 10 | $566,078 | $1,455,338 | $1,010,000 |
Additional exact-input observations
| Employees / years | Observed low | Observed high | Our rounded midpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 / 4 | $211,881 | $394,085 | $305,000 |
| 60 / 5 | $257,280 | $505,581 | $380,000 |
Sources and other market evidence
Only the micro1 calculator observations supply numbers to this formula. Published licensing case studies help explain the opportunity, but we do not mix their different terms into a supposed average price. Read our reported-deal analysis for that distinction.
- micro1 public payout calculator
Observed calculator outputs supply the numeric benchmarks. North Fox selects and rounds a midpoint; it does not narrow the provider interval or claim a likely offer.
- Red Deer: published logistics case
A reported $350,000 payout to one anonymous logistics business. Staff count, final dataset, and detailed terms are undisclosed; this case is context, not a formula input.
- Pewter: reported partner payments
Selected payments attributed to its unnamed licensing partner, not independently verified. These are not treated as an independent transaction dataset or a per-employee rate.
- Polyshares: selected licenses
Reported examples are perpetual exclusive licenses. They are not averaged with other payment structures or used as formula inputs.
Keeping the estimate reproducible
If you request a conversation, we save your answers, the model version, the source date, the effective benchmark inputs, the source interval, the observations and weights used, and the rounded figure. The server recalculates that record; a number sent by a browser cannot replace it. We do not silently change an old estimate when the model changes.
A dated snapshot can become stale as buyer programs change. We can revise it when new observations or properly documented transactions justify a new version. We keep the source date visible so you can distinguish this planning tool from a current offer.