Data broker course
A data broker course in six modules: finding companies with data, valuing it, the licensing documents and closing a sale, with tools for each step.
Updated
What the course teaches
The course teaches one job: finding a company that holds data a buyer would pay for, working out roughly what it is worth, getting the right agreements signed, and seeing the sale through to payment. Most of the buyers it has in mind are AI labs licensing codebases, task sets and raw data such as recordings or document archives, though the method carries over to other buyers.
It starts from nothing. The first lesson explains what a data broker is and why this kind has little to do with the companies that trade consumer profiles. The last module is about running several deals at once without losing track of follow-ups.
The syllabus
Eighteen lessons in six modules, about two hours of reading and exercises in total. Each lesson lists what you will be able to do by the end, and most finish by sending you into the matching tool in the app.
| Module | Lesson | Minutes | By the end you can |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Data brokering in plain English | What is a data broker? | 8 | Explain the job in one sentence and trace a sale from first call to commission |
| 1. Data brokering in plain English | The company, the buyer and you | 6 | Say what the seller, the buyer and the broker each want, and what you bring |
| 1. Data brokering in plain English | Codebases, tasks and raw data | 7 | Tell the three kinds of supply apart and know how each is priced |
| 2. Finding companies with valuable data | What makes a good lead | 7 | Spot the signals of a strong lead and the red flags early |
| 2. Finding companies with valuable data | Finding and qualifying leads | 8 | Run the five qualifying questions and know which two answers are non-negotiable |
| 2. Finding companies with valuable data | Your first message | 6 | Write a short, honest first message and handle a request for a price |
| 3. Valuing data | What drives price | 8 | Name the five general price factors and do per-task math |
| 3. Valuing data | Running an estimate | 6 | Read an estimate band and talk about a range without overpromising |
| 3. Valuing data | Packaging data for more value | 6 | List the cheap changes that raise value and prepare data safely |
| 4. Licensing | NDA and letter of intent | 6 | Put the early documents in order and decide when a letter of intent is worth it |
| 4. Licensing | Data license and broker agreement | 9 | Set out a broker agreement and work out gross versus net commission |
| 4. Licensing | Consent and privacy basics | 7 | Know what must always come out of the data and which questions to ask first |
| 5. Listing, selling and getting paid | Creating a listing | 8 | Walk a seller from sign-up to an active marketplace listing |
| 5. Listing, selling and getting paid | For sale, wanted and offers | 7 | Explain supply-first and demand-first sales and answer a buyer request in time |
| 5. Listing, selling and getting paid | Getting paid | 7 | Trace money from invoice to your bank and plan for the timing gap |
| 6. Scaling your pipeline | Running a pipeline | 6 | Name the pipeline stages and set a weekly routine |
| 6. Scaling your pipeline | Matching supply to demand | 6 | Start from open buyer requests and pitch a specific, live need |
| 6. Scaling your pipeline | Templates, terms and reputation | 5 | Set up the four systems worth building once and turn happy sellers into referrals |
How a lesson works
- 1
Objectives first
Each lesson opens with three or four things you will be able to do by the end, so you know what to look for.
- 2
Short reading with worked examples
Plain explanations, definitions of the terms you will hear in deals, and examples that are labelled as examples rather than quotes.
- 3
Diagrams and calculators
Drawn diagrams of who does what, and small calculators for commission, per-task pricing, payouts and pipeline size. Every number they show is illustrative.
- 4
Checkpoints
Multiple-choice questions and sorting exercises built on situations brokers really face, with an explanation for each answer. There are 27 across the course.
- 5
A test at the end of each module
Each module ends with a test made of its lessons' questions, so you can check what stuck before moving on.
- 6
Hand-off to the app
Most lessons end with one action in the app: add a lead, run an estimate, start a broker agreement, check open buyer requests.
What you get
- All 18 lessons and the six module tests, with your progress saved.
- The lead finder and a CRM to track each company by stage, with your own columns, import and export.
- Estimations: an advisory value range for codebases, task sets and raw data.
- Contract templates in the order you send them: mutual NDA, letter of intent, data license agreement and broker agreement, each tracked from draft to signed.
- An inventory of the assets you have the right to sell, and listings you can work toward a sale.
- A view of data for sale and open buyer requests, so you can see what is wanted before you go looking.
What it won't do
- It won't promise income. What a broker earns depends on the deals they find and close, and many conversations end without one.
- It isn't legal advice. The templates and privacy lessons tell you what to ask; a lawyer should review any agreement before you rely on it.
- It doesn't lead to a certification. No body certifies data brokers, and we don't issue a certificate that would suggest otherwise.
- It isn't about consumer data brokering. Building profiles of people for marketing or background checks is a different business with different laws.
Questions people ask
How much does the data broker course cost?
$4,500, paid once, for 12 months of access to the course and all the tools in the app.
How long does the course take?
The 18 lessons add up to about two hours of reading and exercises. Most people spread them over a few weeks and do the in-app action at the end of each lesson as they go, which takes longer than the reading.
Is there a data broker certification?
No recognised certification exists for brokering company data, and this course doesn't award one. Some states require registration from businesses that sell personal information about consumers, which is a legal filing, not a qualification.
Do I need experience in data or law?
No. The course assumes none. Knowing an industry well helps you find sellers, but the course explains the data and contract terms as they come up.
Can I read the guides without buying the course?
Yes. Every guide on this site is open to read. The course goes further, with the lessons in order, exercises, module tests and the tools.
Become a data broker
The DataBroker course and tools: find companies with data to sell, price it, license it and close the deal.