Updated October 2026
Jottings vs Your Data Value: what a broker costs you
You like the idea of someone negotiating for you, but you want to know what it costs. Both of these brokers act for the owner, charge nothing upfront and are paid only after you are. Jottings publishes its fee, typically 20-30% of proceeds, and names its founder, Chris Riley. Your Data Value does not publish its percentage, names no people, and says it may also be paid by buyers for introductions.1,2,3,4
Side by side
Jottings and Your Data Value, row by row
| Topic | Jottings | Your Data Value |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | Typically 20-30% of proceeds; applies to renewals on revenue-share deals1 | A percentage set in an agreement, not published; may also be paid by buyers3 |
| Deal ranges | $100K-$250K, $250K-$750K, $1M+ by data depth5 | $200K to $10M, most $200K-$2M; $200K minimum6 |
| Size floor | None on its site (ads say 20+ people)7,8 | 30+ employees6 |
| Proof offered | A $173,163 license it describes as the founder's own9 | Example deals it says are not its clients6 |
| Who runs it | Riley Ventures LLC, Delray Beach, FL; founder Chris Riley2 | Deebee Works, LLC, Sheridan, WY; no people named4 |
| Timeline | Not published | 30-60 days, attributed on its homepage to another firm10 |
The arithmetic
What a broker fee does to your number
A broker earns its fee only if it gets you a better price than you would get alone, and at Jottings' 20-30% it has to raise the price by a quarter or more just to leave you level. Many buyers charge the seller nothing: Mercor and Polyshares say no seller fees, Mode charges no broker fee, and Pewter is paid by its licensing partner, not the owner. Ask each broker what it expects you to net, and get a direct quote to compare.1,11,12,13,14
Your Data Value's terms add a second source of pay: it may be compensated by buyers for introductions. A broker paid by both sides should say how much from each.3
Read closely
Fees that keep running
Jottings' fee applies to every payout on a revenue-share deal, renewals included, so if your license pays yearly, the fee does too. Ask Your Data Value whether its percentage works the same way, since it does not say.1,3
Neither is a buyer we work with. The quiz introduces you to the buyers we work with that take a company like yours, several of which say they charge the owner nothing, so you have a direct quote in hand before you decide whether a broker is worth its cut.12,13,14,15
FAQ
Questions, answered with sources
A success fee typically of 20-30%, paid only from proceeds, including on renewals of revenue-share deals.1
An unpublished percentage, set in an agreement and paid after you are. It may also be paid by buyers.3
Every business is different, so this one is best talked through with the buyer you're working with. Their team goes over it with you before anything is signed.
Before you sign
Questions to talk through with your buyer
Every business is different, so these are best talked through with the buyer you're working with. Their team goes over them with you before anything is signed.
Questions for this kind of business
- Do customer, vendor or platform contracts, NDAs or API terms restrict this?
- How is the payment taxed?
Questions for any buyer
- Is the license exclusive, and for how long?
- Can you sublicense the data, and to whom?
- Which AI labs will receive it, and will you tell us?
- How long do you keep it, and how is it deleted?
- What is your liability cap, and who indemnifies whom?
- Will the contract ban re-identification of people in the data?
- Who removes personal data, by what method, and do we approve it first?