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How to research an account in 10 minutes

By Konstantinos Tsetsos, Co-founder, Kalko · Last updated

Read the account's open job posts, its latest filings if it is public, and its news. Then look for reasons to skip it. Write a three-line brief, and put the source and date next to each line.

Key takeaways

  • US public companies list their most significant risks in Item 1A of the annual Form 10-K (SEC).
  • Most Form 8-K events, such as a new senior officer, are filed within four business days (Investor.gov).
  • Anyone can search US filings for free on SEC EDGAR.

How do you research an account step by step?

  1. Open the company careers page. Read every role in the team you sell to, and note the problems each post names.
  2. If the company is public, open its latest 10-K on EDGAR. Read Item 1A for risks and Item 7 for plans.
  3. Search EDGAR for recent 8-K filings. Item 5.02 shows new or departing senior officers.
  4. Read the press page and the last three news stories about the company.
  5. Look for reasons to skip, such as a recent renewal with a competitor or a hiring freeze.
  6. Write a three-line brief, with the source and the date next to each line.

What goes in an account brief?

  • One line on what the company is working on now, with the source.
  • One line on why that matters to the problem you solve.
  • One line on who owns the problem, by role.
  • Any reason to wait or skip, with the source.
Account: <company>
Working on: <what the job post or filing says> (source, date)
Why it matters: <the problem it creates that you solve>
Who owns it: <role>
Reason to wait or skip: <none, or the reason> (source, date)

How can you do this for every account?

Kalko does this research for every account in your market and keeps the source and date on each claim. It starts at $99 per month, with a 200-credit trial.

Questions people ask

How long does account research take?

With the six steps above, about 10 minutes for one account. Most of the time goes to reading the job posts and the filings.

What if the company is private?

Skip the filings. Job posts, the press page, news and public posts by the team still show what the company is working on.

Can ChatGPT do account research?

It can summarise what you paste into it. Check every claim against the source and the date before you use it.

Sources

  1. SEC Investor Bulletin: How to Read a 10-K, checked October 22, 2026
  2. Investor.gov: How to Read an 8-K, checked October 22, 2026
  3. SEC EDGAR full-text search, checked October 22, 2026
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