Pricing, engagements, and fit
Direct answers about working with Pivotal Catalyst, the Auckland-based US market entry advisory firm founded by Sean McGrail.
Who is Pivotal Catalyst best for?
New Zealand companies with NZD $3M to $25M in revenue, 2 to 10 years old, profitable, with proven domestic traction, that are now weighing US expansion. The work is built for founders who have had early US interest and hit the harder questions: pricing, channel strategy, first buyer, and margin structure.
When should I hire Pivotal Catalyst?
Before you commit capital to the US. The right moment is after you have real US interest but before you hire, sign channel agreements, or set US pricing. A failed US entry can cost more than $500,000 in premature hiring, wrong pricing, weak channel selection, and lost founder time. The work exists to resolve those decisions first.
What does the US Market Entry Diagnostic include?
The Diagnostic is a paid decision session priced at NZD $10,000. It identifies the most important commercial issue in your current US expansion thinking. You leave with a named finding and a direct answer: go, delay, or redesign. If both sides proceed to the full engagement, the $10,000 is credited in full.
What does the Architecture Engagement include, and how long does it take?
The US Market Entry Architecture Engagement runs six weeks and is priced at NZD $75,000. It resolves first buyer, first channel, pricing logic, unit economics, operating structure, first-hire sequence, and the go/no-go decision. The output is a board-ready US Market Entry Architecture Decision Pack.
How is this different from a traditional consultant or NZTE?
NZTE provides access, introductions, and market information. Large consulting firms provide research and broad analysis. Neither resolves whether your commercial model survives US economics. Pivotal Catalyst is one operator, Sean McGrail, who scaled Paint Nite to $110M across 250+ US markets, applying that experience to your specific pricing, channel, and sequencing decisions.
What outcomes should a client expect?
A resolved set of commercial decisions before capital is committed: what to charge, which channel to enter through, who the first buyer is, what to hire first, and whether to go at all. Some clients get a clear go with an architecture to execute. Others get a delay or redesign answer that saves them from an expensive failed entry. Both are wins.
Does Pivotal Catalyst work remotely or in person?
Both. Pivotal Catalyst is based in St Heliers, Auckland, and works with founders across New Zealand. Engagements run remotely or face-to-face, founder-led from first conversation to final deliverable.