Using Hunch

Signals

A signal is a buying trigger you describe in plain English. Hunch compiles it into a precise detector and watches for it continuously.

What makes a good signal

The single most important idea: a signal is a buying trigger, not a search instruction. It describes an event in the world that makes a company more likely to buy right now, not the mechanics of how to look for it.

Write signals as a yes/no question about a dated event. “Did the company appoint a new VP of Revenue in the last 90 days?” ✅   “Search LinkedIn and news for job changes.” ❌

Strong signals tend to be:

  • Specific and observable, a named hire, a funding round, a product launch, a job posting for a relevant role.
  • Time-bound, recent enough to still matter. Every signal carries a timeframe.
  • Tied to buying intent, the event should plausibly open a window to reach out.

Common categories

  • Leadership changes, a new CRO, VP Sales, or other budget owner.
  • Funding & growth, a raise, expansion, or stated growth target.
  • Hiring signals, job postings that reveal investment in your area.
  • Competitor mentions, the prospect uses or evaluates a named competitor.
  • Pain & frustration, missed targets, churn, public complaints.
  • Intent & adoption, tech adoption, new strategy, product launches, events.

From plain English to precise detection

When you save a signal, Hunch turns your plain-English description into a precise, consistent detector. You never write rules or keywords, you describe the trigger in your own words and Hunch handles the rest, so detection is grounded rather than a fuzzy keyword match.

Why detections are strict

Hunch only marks a signal present when there is a specific, dated event that directly matches what you described. Loosely related facts, like “the company operates in a related space,” don't count. A missed signal is treated as far less harmful than a fabricated one, so Hunch errs toward precision. Every present detection is backed by evidence with source links and dates.

Suggest Signals

Not sure where to start? The Suggest Signals feature reads your Knowledge Base and proposes a set of high-value buying signals across categories, each already written as a proper trigger with a rationale. Approve the ones that fit and tweak the wording.

Timeframe and muting

Each signal has a timeframe (how recent an event must be to count, e.g. 90 days). Muting a signal keeps its definition but stops it from running automatically, which is handy while you refine wording.