About
Joan Murphy, FirstPass Memo
Joan Murphy is a pen name. It is the name FirstPass Memo uses to sign its guides, answers, teardowns and replies on forums. It does not belong to a credentialed adviser, and we do not claim it does. The work is judged by what it shows: published rules, cited sources and dated figures you can check.
Why a pen name
FirstPass Memo is a small independent project. The people behind it keep their names private, for the same reasons many small publishers do. We think you are owed the reason, so here it is, and here is what we do instead of asking you to trust a name.
What Joan does and does not claim
| Is a real-name individual | No. A pen name for the FirstPass Memo team. |
|---|---|
| Credentials | None claimed: not a broker, accountant, lawyer, appraiser or licensed adviser. |
| Deals closed | No acquisition track record is claimed on this site. |
| What the byline covers | Pages written for buyers of online businesses priced about $10k–$150k: how to read a listing, check revenue, work out payback and what to ask a seller. |
| How pages are made | Drafted with software help, then checked against the sources listed on each page. See methodology and the editorial policy. |
| Who pays | Buyers only. No marketplace, broker or seller money, no affiliate links. |
| Contact | hello@firstpassmemo.com (corrections welcome) |
| Elsewhere | Hacker News · Reddit u/JoanMurphy_FP |
How to check the work instead of the name
- Every rule the checker applies is public: 33 red flags explained, also as rules.json.
- The figures behind payback benchmarks are on the benchmarks page, with a CSV, the sample size and the date.
- Teardowns quote only the public listing and say "to verify", never accuse: listing teardowns.
- Answers carry an "Updated" date and a sources list. If a figure is wrong, email us and we fix it with a dated note.