What the free rulebooks don't tell you about getting listed

Nasdaq and NYSE publish their standards for free. What they don't publish is the part that actually decides your timeline: how the tests interact, which governance gate has a 9–15 month lead time, and which venue and path fit your story. These guides are that operator's layer — worked from the same public rules and the same engine that scores the paid report, with the real math shown, not hand-waved.

Listing tests

Nasdaq listing standards explained — the three tests, worked

Global Select, Global Market and Capital Market each publish alternative financial tests. Which one you pass — and how far you are from the next — decided per metric, with the exact ratios.

Governance runway

The SOX 404 timeline — why it decides your IPO date

Internal-control readiness is the gate founders discover last and can't compress. A month-by-month view of why 9–15 months is realistic, and what to start now.

Path choice

IPO vs direct listing vs SPAC — how to actually choose

All three land you on an exchange; they differ on capital, cost, control and risk. When each fits, what to watch, and why every path still has to clear the same quantitative gates.

Checklist

The governance checklist to clear before you call a banker

Seven weighted items, from two years of PCAOB-audited financials to independent committees — what each one is, why it's a gate, and the order to build them in.

Read the guides, then score your own company

The free estimate on the landing page runs the same core engine on a handful of inputs — no signup, nothing leaves your browser. The full report scores every standard, ranks all five venues, and dates your roadmap.

Try the free estimate Get the report — $490 →