Every deal has an official story.
We’re gathering the real ones.
The narrative of a deal is usually written by the press release. The leaders who carry the risk, the executives navigating integration, and the operating partners watching the deal thesis come under pressure all know the real story rarely makes it into the deck. This research captures the lived experience of M&A from multiple seats, across many deals. What you contribute shapes what the field gets to see.
The bar stories are accurate. The coaching market confirms it. This research is how we make the patterns visible without anyone breaking confidence.
What this contributes to
When enough stories gather across the three seats, patterns emerge that no single deal could show. Where trust held and where it frayed. What quietly drained people, and what gave them something back. Which moments looked routine but changed everything after.
Around 10–20 minutes for the core, more if you want to add context. Flexible on your timeline. About five minutes for the story itself, which you can dictate.
Type or use your browser’s voice feature to dictate a short story about your experience, then position it on a few visual scales. The rest is optional.
Where were you sitting?
What you saw depends on where you sat. Pick the seat that fits. If you have held more than one across different deals, you are welcome to contribute more than one story.
This works best once a deal has played out. One whose outcome you can already see is easier to reflect on than one still in motion.
Each link opens a separate instrument on SimpleSurvey. The interface looks different by design.
Your story stays anonymous. No names, no identifying details. Stories are interpreted in aggregate. The pattern is across narratives, not your individual story.
When the patterns are ready, we will publish them openly on Unflocked.io and on LinkedIn, and share them with the professional communities helping gather the stories. Anyone interested can follow along. To be notified at publication, follow Sherryl Tarnaske or Unflocked on LinkedIn, or join the notification list. The list is separate from the research and unconnected to any contribution.
Story data is collected and stored on servers located in Canada, operated by the Canadian research platform SimpleSurvey.
Before you share.
We know the terrain. If you’re sitting in the middle of a deal or an integration, you’re likely bound by a Non-Disclosure Agreement. You should be. Here’s how this research is designed to respect that.
This FAQ describes the research methodology and intent of The Real Deal initiative. It does not constitute legal advice regarding your specific Non-Disclosure Agreement. If you are uncertain about your obligations, consult your own legal counsel before participating.
For the full research ethics statement, methodology notes, and information about the researcher: Research ethics and methods.
Research platform: SimpleSurvey (Canadian-hosted data).
Unflocked Inc. | The Real Deal Research Initiative
This research initiative is offered in both English and French. Unflocked’s advisory services are delivered in English.