---
spec_version: 0.1.0
document_type: brand-brief
brand_id: fieldledger
brand_version: 1.3.0
parent_operator_id: tom-pinder
last_updated: 2026-05-08T00:00:00.000Z
---

## TIF Verification [public]

- certification_id: TIF-FIELDLEDGER-262a2937
- verification_url: https://marketing.startvest.ai/tif/TIF-FIELDLEDGER-262a2937
- json_endpoint: https://marketing.startvest.ai/api/v1/tif/certifications/TIF-FIELDLEDGER-262a2937
- status: active
- domain_verified: true
- founder_identity_verified: true
- credentials_verified: pending
- publications_verified: pending

## Identity [public]

- name: FieldLedger
- operator_title: Founder, FieldLedger
- legal_entity: StartVest LLC
- byline_name: Tom Pinder
- byline_first_name: Tom
- byline_role: Founder
- website: https://fieldledger.us
- description: Federal-contractor operations layer for the 5–50-person SDVOSB / VOSB / 8(a) / HUBZone shop. DCAA timekeeping, indirect rate calculation, equipment costing, capture workspace
- launched: 2026

## Voice Rules [public]

### Banned phrases
- empower / empowering
- leverage (as a verb)
- synergy
- dive in / dive deeper / let's dive
- let's unpack / unpack / unpack this
- at the end of the day
- circle back
- touch base
- compare notes
- move the needle
- moving forward
- genuinely
- straightforward
- holistic
- robust
- streamline / streamlined
- world-class
- best-in-class
- game-changer / game-changing
- thought leader / thought leadership
- transform / transformation (allowed only when describing a specific concrete change)
- in today's [X] landscape
- the future of [X]
- it's worth noting
- we believe / we think / it's our view that
- modernize / unlock / accelerate (as content-free improvement verbs)
- reportedly / according to public reports / as widely covered / thought to be / appears to indicate
- substrate
- "disrupting Deltek" / "Deltek killer" (wrong frame; FieldLedger is below Deltek's segment)
- "DCAA software" alone as the wedge (too narrow post-2027)
- "AI-powered govcon" (generic; lead with the specific outcome)
- "GovCon for everyone" (segmentation matters; 5–50 employee SDVOSB / VOSB / 8(a) / HUBZone is the lane)
- "modernize federal contracting" (content-free)

### Banned characters
- ! (exclamation point)
- emojis (any)

### Tone rules
- sentence_length_max: 25
- paragraph_count_max: 5
- direct_voice: true
- exclamation_max_per_message: 0
- humor: dry, sparing
- corporate_jargon: never
- hedging: never (state the claim, flag with `[NEEDS VERIFICATION]`, or omit)
- specificity: numbers, names, dates, case captions, dollar amounts earn the read
- subhead_threshold_words: 400 (a piece shorter than this does not get subheads)
- headline_case: sentence (not title)

### Required elements
- pitch: outlet_specific_hook, sender_credentials, cmmc_phase_2_or_dcaa_specific_hook (FieldLedger leads on regulatory deadlines, not generic compliance)
- cold_email: personalization, clear_cta
- linkedin_message: personalization, no_pitch_in_first_message
- citation: every factual claim has a verifiable source or a `[NEEDS VERIFICATION]` flag
- cta: singular, concrete, low-friction (e.g., "Book the audit, " not "Take the next step")

### Channel limits
- linkedin_connect_note: 200
- linkedin_message: 1000
- linkedin_personal_post: 1300
- cold_email_subject: 50
- cold_email_body: 800
- pitch: 1500
- twitter_post: 280
- blog_subhead_min_section_words: 200

## Brand Context [public]

FieldLedger is the federal-contractor operations layer for the 5–50-person SDVOSB / VOSB / 8(a) / HUBZone shop. Flat-fee. Cloud-native. DCAA-compliant out of the box. Sub-$500/month. Below the SMB procurement-approval ceiling.

The thesis: there is no integrated flat-fee cloud-native DCAA ops + capture product under $200/mo. That gap is the wedge.

CMMC Phase 2 mandatory C3PAO Level 2 begins November 10, 2026. That regulatory deadline is the headline forcing function for Plus-tier urgency. The FAR overhaul moved the TINA threshold from $2M to $10M, weakening pure DCAA framing past 2027. So FieldLedger leads with the bundle (DCAA compliance + cost control + capture ROI), not DCAA alone.

## Positioning [public]

- category: federal-contractor operations layer (DCAA + capture, sub-$500/mo)
- primary_persona: owner / president / fractional controller (often wears the compliance hat)
- secondary_personas: DCAA consultant, fractional controller (technical sign-off)
- buyer_size: 5–50 person federal contractor with $500K–$10M annual federal obligations
- industries: federal services contractors, federal construction, IT services, A&E, professional services, supply / logistics
- not_for: enterprise ERP buyers (Costpoint segment), single-employee 1099 contractors
- tam_context: 20K–24K U.S. small businesses with $500K–$10M annual federal obligations; SAM ~13,200 firms (DCAA-need, not on enterprise ERP)
- comp_set_below: SamSearch, Govly, GovTribe, BidPrime, HigherGov (no SOC 2, FedRAMP, or CMMC)
- comp_set_above: Deltek Costpoint ($800/mo all-in for 10 users), Unanet, PROCAS

## Document Metadata [public]

- canonical_url: https://fieldledger.us/brief.md
- well_known_url: https://fieldledger.us/.well-known/brief.md
- spec_format: brief.md v0.1.0
- last_updated: 2026-05-08
- citation: FieldLedger. (2026). FieldLedger Canonical Brand Context. Retrieved from https://fieldledger.us/brief.md

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "FieldLedger",
  "url": "https://fieldledger.us",
  "description": "DCAA-compliant accounting and indirect-rate software for federal contractors and SDVOSBs.",
  "applicationCategory": "BusinessApplication",
  "operatingSystem": "Web",
  "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Pinder" },
  "parentOrganization": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "StartVest LLC" },
  "sameAs": ["https://fieldledger.us"]
}
```

## Public Links [public]

- linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-pinder-88110732/
- github: https://github.com/tjpinder
- website: https://startvest.ai
- twitter: (TODO: confirm handle before publishing)

## Credentials [public]

<!-- Default credentials surface on all beats. Beat-specific credentials
     live under H3 subsections (e.g. ### Govcon) and are picked by
     selectCredentialsForBeat at draft time. -->
- 10+ years enterprise systems engineering
- Founder of multiple brands across SaaS and govcon (PRAPI, FieldLedger, Hireposture, IdeaLift, ClarityLift, StartVest govcon)
- Author of the brief.md spec for portable brand context

### Govcon [public]
- VOSB / SDVOSB-eligible founder
- Prior Secret clearance, eligible for reinstatement