Article

What happens in the initial interview

By TrustPast

Updated October 31, 2026

After you apply to micro1, one of the first things that happens is an interview. micro1 calls it an initial interview, and it gives it two sentences on its data partnerships page. For an owner who has sat through bank reviews and insurance audits, two sentences isn’t much to prepare from. This page sets out exactly what micro1 publishes about the interview, what it leaves out, and then our own advice, labelled as ours, on how a trade or service company can describe its records well.

What micro1 publishes, word for word

The interview appears in micro1’s answer to the question “What happens after a company is referred?” micro1 says its team reviews the company and guides it through an initial interview. The next sentence is the whole of micro1’s explanation: “The interview helps assess whether the company and its data are a good fit for the program.”

Then comes the step after it. “Companies that meet the qualification criteria then move forward to partnership discussions, agreement finalization, and onboarding. Once onboarding is complete, the company can begin participating in the program.”

That’s it. Three things are clear from those lines. The interview comes early, before any talk of terms. Its purpose is fit. And it judges two things at once: the company and its data.

micro1’s own sentence carries one more word in front of “interview”, and that word describes how micro1 runs it. In our reading, it means the interview is conducted by micro1’s own software, with micro1’s team guiding the company through it. micro1 publishes nothing else about the format. It doesn’t say whether the interview is spoken or written, live or recorded, one sitting or several. We don’t know either, and we won’t guess on your behalf.

Apply & License Your Data

Where it sits in the steps

micro1 describes what happens after an application on two pages, in slightly different words.

On its referral page, the order is: the company’s point of contact sets up the company’s profile on micro1’s company portal and “completes data manifest.” Then, “Once the company registers and completes its profile and data manifest, our team reviews the application.” Then, “Qualified companies are invited to connect with a Data Partnership Manager to discuss their data, licensing terms, and next steps.”

On its data partnerships page, the order is: a review, the initial interview, then “partnership discussions, agreement finalization, and onboarding.”

What follows is our reading of those two pages, not a sequence micro1 publishes in one place. Read together, the interview belongs to the review stage. It comes after the company has registered and before the call with a Data Partnership Manager. micro1 doesn’t say whether the interview comes before or after the data manifest is complete. In our reading, it makes sense to finish the manifest first, because it makes you count your records, and the interview will ask you to talk about them.

After the interview, micro1 decides whether the company goes on. Its referral page puts that step in one line: “Our team reviews the company and determines whether it’s a fit for a data partnership.” It also says “All companies must complete micro1’s qualification and evaluation process.”

The full sequence, from applying to payment, is on what happens after you apply. The call that, in our reading, follows a good interview has its own page: what happens on the discovery call.

What the interview is for

micro1 says the interview assesses fit. It publishes the criteria a fit is measured against, in its answer on which companies are eligible.

“We’re looking for established companies with 30+ full-time employees, mature business operations, and substantial historical operational data.” The same answer names the kinds of records: “internal communications, SOPs, project histories, CRM records, support tickets, and other business documentation.” It adds: “Data should be primarily in English. We’re currently prioritizing US companies, followed by other Western markets.”

micro1 doesn’t say which of those the interview checks. But “the company and its data” covers most of the list. Headcount and maturity are about the company. History, record types and language are about the data.

micro1 also says what it values most in records. “We are looking for data that reflects how work is actually performed within an organization.” And: “The most valuable datasets capture real operational expertise, decision-making processes, and repeatable workflows.”

On depth, micro1 says “There’s no fixed minimum number of files, documents, or terabytes.” It evaluates “the historical depth, breadth, quality, and relevance of the available data.” It adds that “Companies with several years of records across multiple business systems are generally a stronger fit.”

So in our reading, the interview is where micro1 first hears your answer to one question: does this company keep years of records that show how its work gets done? Our page on who qualifies for the data partnership takes each published criterion in turn.

Who takes the interview

micro1 says its team “guides them through” the interview, “them” being the company. It doesn’t name a role on your side.

What it does publish points at one person. The referral page says the company’s point of contact sets up the profile and completes the data manifest. It says “Companies must register and complete their own applications through the referral link.” It adds: “Manual introductions, applications submitted on behalf of a company, and direct meeting requests do not replace the official application process.”

So nobody takes the interview for you. Not a referrer, not an adviser, not us.

micro1 also sets one requirement for the people involved. “Company representatives must also be able to communicate with the micro1 team in English throughout the partnership and onboarding process.”

Our own advice: the person who takes the interview should be the one who knows where the records live. In a 40-person service company, that may be the office manager or the operations manager, not the owner. They know which year the job numbers changed. They know which estimator kept his notes in the bid file and which kept them in his email. If micro1 lets two people join, bring the owner as well, so the questions about the company get a first-hand answer.

What micro1 does not publish about it

A known format is easier to prepare for. Here is what micro1’s public pages leave out, so you don’t spend time looking for it.

The length. No duration is published.
The format. Beyond how it is conducted, nothing.
The questions. No list, no sample questions, no topics.
Who runs it from micro1. micro1’s team “guides” the company through the interview. No person or role is named. The Data Partnership Manager is named for the call, which in our reading comes after, not for the interview.
Whether files are asked for. micro1 doesn’t say the interview asks for any.
How the result is given. micro1 doesn’t publish how or when a company hears the outcome.
What happens on a no. micro1 doesn’t say whether a company that isn’t a fit can try again later.
The timing. micro1 says “There is no guaranteed timeframe between application and partnership completion.” It says timelines vary with “the company’s eligibility, the complexity of its data, legal requirements, and how quickly it completes each step.”

That last line holds the only part of the clock you control. A company that answers clearly and promptly doesn’t slow its own step.

If any of the gaps above matter to you, ask micro1 directly. Write down the answers. They’re micro1’s to give, and we’re told no more than you are.

How the interview differs from the discovery call

The two are easy to mix up, so it’s worth separating them.

In our reading of micro1’s two pages, the interview comes first. It is about fit. micro1’s own words are “a good fit for the program.” Only companies that “meet the qualification criteria” go on.

The call comes after, and only for “Qualified companies.” It’s with a named role, a Data Partnership Manager. Its topics are “their data, licensing terms, and next steps.” In our reading, the call is where the first of micro1’s four published steps begins: “Discovery & pricing.” micro1 describes that step as: “We identify licensable datasets across your business and tailor an offer based on the nature, scale, and value of your data.”

So the interview is not the place to talk price or terms. Nothing in micro1’s published wording puts terms in the interview. Save your questions about deletion, samples and access for the call, where micro1 says licensing terms are discussed.

Our advice: what to have at hand

Everything from here on is TrustPast’s own advice, not micro1’s guidance. micro1 publishes no preparation list for the interview.

Have one page in front of you. It needs five things.

The headcount. Full-time staff, counted honestly. micro1’s bar is “30+ full-time employees.”
The systems. Every place records of the work live, past and present. The estimating program and the one before it. The field service or job management system. The shared drive. Email and any team chat. The accounting package with the job costing. Paper, if the early years are in boxes.
The years. For each system, two dates: the oldest year you can still open, and the year the records became complete. micro1’s payout estimator asks “How many years of data do you have?” and explains it as “Typically the number of years you’ve been in business.” Your real answer is usually shorter, and system by system.
Rough counts. Jobs a year, tickets a year, estimates a year. A round number is enough.
The question marks. Which projects carry client confidentiality terms. Which records are in a language other than English. Which old systems you can no longer export from.

That page takes about an hour. Our page on what to prepare before applying goes through each line in more detail, and how many years of records count covers dating an archive with gaps.

Keep the page by you after the interview too. The same numbers will come up on the call, and later in due diligence. micro1’s payout page says “Final payout is determined based on data sources, volume, quality, access terms, and due diligence.” The numbers you give at the interview should still hold when someone checks them.

Our advice: how to describe your records

This is the part of the interview where a trade company can undersell itself. “We have job files” says almost nothing. A trade owner knows what’s in those files. The interview can’t know it unless you say it.

micro1 says the most valuable records “capture real operational expertise, decision-making processes, and repeatable workflows.” Its October announcement says real business operations “involve incomplete information, competing priorities and exceptions that require judgment.” Describe your records in those terms: what was decided, by whom, and why.

Three examples from the work of a trade or service company. The years and counts in them are invented for the example.

How an estimate became a job. Not “we keep our estimates.” Instead: “Every bid since 2013 is in the estimating program, with each revision saved. The estimator’s notes say why the number changed after the site visit. The won bids link to a job number, so you can follow the estimate into the job costing and see where it was right and where it was wrong.”

How a change order was settled. Not “we have change orders.” Instead: “Each project folder holds the change orders with the request, our price, the back-and-forth with the general contractor and the version that was signed. The email threads behind them are in the mailbox from 2015 on.”

How a repair was diagnosed. Not “we have service tickets.” Instead: “Every service call since 2016 is in the field service system. Each ticket has the customer’s complaint, the technician’s notes on what he tested, what he found, the parts used and whether we went back. About 5,000 tickets a year.” Use your own years and counts, not these.

Notice what each description does. It names the record, the system it lives in, the years and the reasoning it holds. It says nothing about who the customer was. It doesn’t need to.

Written procedures count too. The safety manual, the start-up checklist for a new install, the way a new hire is trained on the estimating sheet. micro1 names “standard operating procedures (SOPs), process documentation, internal knowledge bases, workflows, templates.” A trade company’s versions of those are worth a sentence each.

Admit the weak spots. If the estimates before 2013 are PDFs with no notes, say so. A gap named at the interview is a detail. A gap found after contracting is a problem.

Our cornerstone page on what data buyers want from a trade business sorts a contractor’s files into what counts and what doesn’t. The record-type pages on estimates and quotes and job files and work orders go one record at a time.

Our advice: what not to send

The interview is for describing. Our advice is to send nothing at it, even if it would be easy.

No files. No sample estimates, no exported tickets, no project folders. micro1’s published order puts transfer later, after contracting: “You securely transfer your data through our APIs or other approved methods.” Until an agreement says what is shared, keep everything where it is.
No customer lists or payment records. They’re never what is wanted. micro1 says it “uses de-identified company data.”
No logins. No passwords to the estimating program, the field service system or the email.
No staff files. Payroll, HR folders and personnel records stay out.
No client-owned work. Drawings, specifications or schedules that belong to a client under its contract aren’t yours to show. Our page on client-owned work and NDAs covers what to check.
No hand-scrubbed copies. Don’t spend a week removing names before the interview. micro1 says a company doesn’t need to anonymize its data before transferring it: “No, micro1 has processes for de-identifying and transforming sensitive information.” Hand-scrubbing tends to strip the context that gives a record its value.

If you’re asked for something at the interview, it’s fair to say you’ll share records once the scope is agreed in writing. Describing them in detail does the same job for now.

What this means for an HVAC service company

Take a hypothetical HVAC company with 45 people. It’s our own example, not a case micro1 has published. Eighteen years in business. Residential service, commercial maintenance contracts, and replacement installs.

Before the interview, the office manager writes the one page. Field service system since 2014, around 7,000 calls a year. Estimating and proposals since 2011, every option the customer was offered and which one they took. Maintenance contracts with their visit logs since 2012. Email since 2013. A start-up checklist and a training binder for new technicians. Paper tickets before 2011, in storage.

The same page names what stays out. One hospital maintenance contract with confidentiality terms. Payroll. The bank records.

At the interview, the office manager describes the records the way the section above suggests. The replacement proposals show how a repair quote turned into a new system, and why. The service tickets show a technician chasing a short-cycling unit across two visits, from a dirty filter to a failing pressure switch. The maintenance logs show the same rooftop units year after year.

None of that needs a customer’s name. All of it needs to stay as it was written.

Want to see what range a company like that sits in? Our estimate takes about two minutes. It’s our range, not micro1’s offer.

What is never included

micro1 says personal and identifying information “is removed or transformed before your data is shared with third parties.” It also says “Companies retain ownership of their underlying data.” micro1 doesn’t publish a fixed list of records it won’t take.

In plain terms: customer names and payment details are never the point. The homeowner’s name on the ticket is not what is wanted. Nor is the card number on the invoice. What is wanted is how an estimate became a job, how a change order was settled, and how a repair was diagnosed. Records are de-identified before use. The names come out; the shape of the work stays.

The rest of this section is TrustPast’s own advice. Expect these to stay out of scope unless micro1 tells you otherwise: health information, payment-card and bank details, Social Security numbers, attorney-client privileged records, and anything a client owns under its contract. If some of your records sit near those lines, mention it at the interview and raise it properly on the call. Our page on what is never included goes through each one, and how it’s safe covers handling from start to finish.

Where we fit

We, TrustPast, explain the process and give a range with our estimate. You apply to micro1 yourself, through the button below. We aren’t on the interview or the call, and we never see your files, your manifest or your agreement. micro1 pays us a referral fee if a deal completes. You pay us nothing.

An hour on the one page, and ten minutes practising how you’d describe your estimates, your change orders and your service tickets. That’s the preparation. Ready to apply?

TrustPast

Questions and answers

What is the initial interview for?

micro1 says its team reviews a referred company and guides it through an initial interview, and that “The interview helps assess whether the company and its data are a good fit for the program.” It adds: “Companies that meet the qualification criteria then move forward to partnership discussions, agreement finalization, and onboarding.”

How long is the interview, and what will we be asked?

micro1 doesn’t publish either. Its data partnerships page gives the interview two sentences: no length, no list of questions, and nothing on the format beyond how it is conducted. On the process as a whole, its referral page says “There is no guaranteed timeframe between application and partnership completion.”

Who from our company should take it?

micro1 doesn’t name a role. Its referral page says the company’s point of contact sets up the profile and completes the data manifest, and that “Companies must register and complete their own applications.” It also says “Company representatives must also be able to communicate with the micro1 team in English throughout the partnership and onboarding process.” Our own advice is the person who knows where the records live, with the owner close by.

Do we send files at the interview?

micro1 doesn’t say it asks for files at that stage. Transfer comes later in its published steps: “You securely transfer your data through our APIs or other approved methods. We review the data for completeness.” Our own advice is to describe the records and send nothing until an agreement says what is shared and how.

Should we take customer names out of our records first?

No. Asked whether a company needs to anonymize its data before transferring it, micro1 answers: “No, micro1 has processes for de-identifying and transforming sensitive information.” It says personal and identifying information “is removed or transformed before your data is shared with third parties.”

What happens if the interview goes well?

In our reading of micro1’s two pages, the next step is the one its referral page describes: “Qualified companies are invited to connect with a Data Partnership Manager to discuss their data, licensing terms, and next steps.” Then: “If both parties agree to proceed, the company moves through contracting, data transfer, and data approval.” micro1 doesn’t publish what happens if a company is not a fit.