Why Stratos Exists

Turning information into judgment.

I spent twenty years inside deal reviews, pricing decisions, and negotiations. I built Stratos to give buyers that same judgment — applied to their deal, before they commit.

Dusty Butler, Founder of Stratos Performance Group

The Story Behind Stratos

For two decades, I helped organizations make high-consequence decisions.

I started as an aerospace engineer, designing missile guidance systems — work where a small miscalculation has consequences you can't walk back. Then I moved into finance, and spent the next two decades as a senior finance executive: owning P&L across billion-dollar business units, building the deal models, sitting on the governance board that approved pricing and commercial terms, and leading global teams through complex negotiations.

That work meant evaluating a lot of deals — and I kept noticing the same structural problem.

The issue was never a lack of information. There is usually no shortage of information in an acquisition. Buyers have access to financial statements, diligence reports, broker materials, lender feedback, attorneys, accountants, and countless opinions. The challenge is turning all of that information into judgment.

Every participant in a transaction plays an important role. Brokers bring opportunities to market. Lenders help finance growth. Attorneys protect their clients' interests. Diligence providers help validate assumptions. But each participant naturally views the deal through the lens of their own responsibility.

The buyer is the only person responsible for bringing all of those perspectives together — and living with the outcome long after the transaction closes.

Stratos was built to help fill that gap: a second opinion focused on one question — what are the few risks and assumptions most likely to determine whether this acquisition succeeds or struggles?

“In most acquisitions, everyone at the table has done their job well — and the buyer is still the only one who has to live with the decision.”

— Dusty Butler, Founder

Who Reviews Your Deal

When you submit a deal to Stratos, I review it personally. You're not getting an algorithm or a junior analyst — you're getting twenty years of operating and finance judgment applied to your specific situation.

Aerospace Engineering

University of Oklahoma

MBA

SMU Cox

20+ Years

Finance & Operations

$1B+

P&L Responsibility

My background runs from engineering to executive finance. I began my career designing missile guidance systems at Lockheed Martin, then spent the next two decades in finance leadership — sitting in deal reviews, pricing approvals, commercial negotiations, and capital allocation decisions, most recently as a Senior Finance Director owning P&L for a global technology company.

That combination — engineering discipline and deal-level financial judgment — is exactly what I bring to every Stratos analysis.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

What You Can Expect

Four commitments I make to every buyer

I will tell you to walk away if that's what I see.

I earn a flat fee per analysis, regardless of outcome. I have no stake in whether your deal closes — only in whether you make a clear-eyed decision.

I will personally review every submission.

Your deal isn't routed to a junior analyst or left to an algorithm. I apply my own judgment to your specific situation.

Every analysis is focused on your specific deal.

You'll get a clear read on the risks and assumptions that actually matter for the business in front of you — not a generic checklist.

I treat every deal as if my own money were at risk.

Every recommendation is built around protecting downside first — not chasing a deal for the sake of getting to yes.

Let's Work Together

You don't need more information. You need to know what matters.

Submit your deal and I'll personally review it, score it against the Stratos framework, and deliver a clear, operator-reviewed verdict.

$995 flat fee per analysis

Submit a Deal for Review View Sample Report

Your deal data is strictly confidential.