Glossary
Terms used across the site, defined with figures from the 10,525 assessments.
Ai exposure
AI exposure describes how much of a company's core product or workflow could plausibly be replicated or absorbed by AI systems.
Blind backtest
A blind backtest is a validation exercise where the assessment method is tested on companies that already failed, using only information that was knowable before they collapsed. The company's identity is masked and a matched set of still-healthy peers is judged at the same cutoff date, so researchers can check whether the method would have flagged the doomed company as risky without knowing the outcome in advance.
Cohort comparison
It turns a lone number into context by ranking it against direct peers rather than the whole market.
Defensible for now
Defensible for now is one of the five standings on the site: real protection, with named pressure against it. Standings describe how much structurally protects a business and what time is doing to it, never the share price.
Hard to displace
Built-to-last is one of the standing labels used to describe a company's durability outlook, meaning the business shows strong signs of being able to withstand competitive and market pressure over time. It sits at the positive end of the standing scale, alongside labels like Fortified and Holding ground.
Little protection left
Little protection left is one of the standing labels used to describe a company's competitive position. It signals that the market is unsettled, with no dominant player controlling the space, so the outcome could still tilt in several directions.
Losing its protection
Losing its protection is one of the five standings on the site: the structural protection is eroding. Standings describe how much structurally protects a business and what time is doing to it, never the share price.
Protection under test
"Protection under test" is one of the standing labels used to describe a company whose survival outlook is genuinely mixed, meaning the evidence for staying afloat and the evidence for trouble are roughly balanced. Records with this standing are more likely to get a second, independent review because the call is not obvious. It signals uncertainty rather than a clear lean toward safety or risk.
Standing label
A standing-label is the one-word or short-phrase verdict that sums up how a company's competitive position looks right now, ranging from 'Hard to displace' at the strong end down to 'Little protection left' at the exposed end.
Watch item
A watch-item is a dated, checkable event that a durability assessment publishes in place of a prediction. Instead of guessing what will happen, it names a specific condition and date so a reader can verify later whether it occurred. This keeps the record accountable without claiming foresight.