Step 1
Act requires strong evidence, high impact, repeated signal, and costly delay.
Public tool method · Version 1.0.0
Signal Triage
Use this method when you need to answer: Should we ignore, monitor, test, or act on this signal? It turns the evidence you supply into a Signal decision card by applying explicit, versioned decision rules. The result is not a benchmark or certification. It shows the strongest evidence, riskiest input, next action, owner, and review date so another reader can inspect and challenge the decision.
Last material review 2026-08-08 · Next review 2026-11-06
Question answered
Should we ignore, monitor, test, or act on this signal?
Signal Triage combines evidence quality, magnitude, persistence, urgency, decision relevance, reversibility, and cost into a visible route.
Step 2
Test requires meaningful impact, unresolved uncertainty, and a reversible test.
Step 3
Monitor is used for plausible but not persistent or decision-relevant signals.
Step 4
Ignore is used for low evidence and low impact.
Step 5
Users may override the route and should record why.
Assumptions and limits
- The route is a decision aid, not an organizational approval.
Usefulness hypothesis
A specific route card prevents generic maturity discussion from replacing a real decision.
Primary metric: Decision-card copy, export, or 30-day rerun
Worked example and modes
The same method, preserved entry intent.
- Signal
- Buyers now ask for evidence governance before an AI pilot
- Source
- Five sales conversations
- Evidence Quality
- 4
- Magnitude
- 4
- Persistence
- 4
- Affected Decision
- Launch AI Assurance offer
Distribution package
Use, embed, and share the instrument.
Blank CSV template90-second demonstrationThree share treatmentsPlain-language answer
Embed with canonical attribution
<iframe src="https://petrichorgrowth.com/tools/signal-vs-noise/embed.html" title="Signal Triage" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="900"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://petrichorgrowth.com/tools/signal-vs-noise">Signal Triage by Petrichor</a></p>Ownership and change control
Who keeps the result defensible?
Product
Petrichor product
Method
Petrichor strategy
Evidence
Petrichor research
Privacy
Petrichor operations
Security
Petrichor web platform
Distribution
Petrichor growth
Support
Petrichor client experience
A material method change requires a reason, impact note, fixture rerun, semantic-version increment, and public entry in the method change log.
Related decision methods
Continue through the evidence chain.
Bottom-Up TAM Builder
Build a transparent market estimate from named accounts, adoption, and economics.
Spend-at-Risk Calculator
Estimate how much planned growth spend is exposed to an unresolved relevance problem.
Reach Reality
Check a repeated LinkedIn algorithm claim against dated primary evidence.
Related plain-language answers
Bottom-Up TAM Builder answerSpend-at-Risk Calculator answerReach Reality answer
Method questions
What another reader should know.
What does the Signal Triage method produce?
A versioned Signal decision card with visible reasoning, evidence status, next action, ownership, and review date.
What inputs does Signal Triage require?
Only the structured decision evidence named by the instrument. Missing or estimated inputs remain visible in the result.
Does the method use AI or a cross-customer benchmark?
No. It applies deterministic rules to the user's inputs and does not compare one customer with another.
When is the method reviewed or changed?
The current method is reviewed at least every 90 days. Material changes require new fixtures, a version increment, and a public change note.
When should the artifact move into facilitated work?
When the unresolved decision requires team challenge, evidence reconciliation, dissent, ownership, and an organizational commitment.