What NOT to Say — Off-Limits Claims¶
The mirror image of what-to-say.md. These statements are either false, unverified, off-policy, or legally risky. Do not make them in customer-facing communication.
Capability claims that are NOT TRUE¶
❌ "LAIRA is FAA-certified."¶
Why off-limits: LAIRA is not FAA-certified. FAA certification is a specific regulatory status with strict criteria. LAIRA is compliance-mapped to FAA standards (which is real, true, and powerful) — but it is not certified.
Correct version: "LAIRA maps to FAA AC 150/5380-6C and ASTM D5340 — the FAA-referenced airfield pavement standards."
❌ "LAIRA is FedRAMP-authorized."¶
Why off-limits: Not authorized. Not under active FedRAMP authorization process at this writing.
Correct version: "FedRAMP roadmap is on our radar based on customer demand. If FedRAMP is a hard requirement, let's escalate the conversation."
❌ "LAIRA is FAR-compliant by default."¶
Why off-limits: FAR compliance is contract-specific. Saying "FAR-compliant by default" is meaningless.
Correct version: "LAIRA is FAR-12 commercial-item by default; for federal customers with specific FAR requirements, let's escalate."
❌ "LAIRA replaces the licensed civil engineer."¶
Why off-limits: It does not. LAIRA is a tool for the engineer.
Correct version: "LAIRA does the data-capture and standards-classification work autonomously. The engineer's judgment and licensure are still required for engineering decisions."
❌ "LAIRA does subsurface structural analysis."¶
Why off-limits: It does not. LAIRA is surface-only.
Correct version: "LAIRA covers surface condition. Subsurface structural evaluation requires physical loading (FWD); LAIRA feeds FWD scheduling but doesn't replace it."
❌ "LAIRA does friction / skid testing."¶
Why off-limits: It does not. Surface friction requires tire-contact equipment.
Correct version: "LAIRA measures surface texture and macrotexture. ASTM E274 friction testing requires contact equipment we don't provide."
❌ "We're SOC 2 Type II certified."¶
Why off-limits: Not yet. SOC 2 is on the roadmap; not certified.
Correct version: "Standard SaaS security posture; SOC 2 is on the roadmap. If your procurement requires SOC 2 Type II, let's escalate the conversation."
❌ "We're HIPAA-compliant."¶
Why off-limits: Not. HIPAA is a healthcare-data regulatory framework; we don't market into that space; we're not HIPAA-compliant.
Correct version: "LAIRA is not designed for healthcare data; if your use case involves PHI, we're probably the wrong tool."
❌ "100% of our customers convert to annual."¶
Why off-limits: Not true; do not make conversion-rate claims you can't substantiate.
Correct version: "Most of our paying customers choose annual prepay because it saves ~17% over monthly."
Comparison claims that are NOT ALLOWED¶
❌ "We're better than Polycam."¶
Why off-limits: Vague, comparative, legally and competitively risky.
Correct version: "LAIRA produces compliance-mapped outputs; Polycam is a 3D scanner that does not. Different categories of tool."
❌ "Cyvl.ai's product is broken."¶
Why off-limits: Disparagement. Legally risky. Brand-eroding.
Correct version: "Cyvl operates a service-billed model; LAIRA is product-led subscription. Different cost structure for the customer."
❌ "Our AI is more accurate than theirs."¶
Why off-limits: Cannot verify; risky claim.
Correct version: "Our detection accuracy is documented in the Esri case study at SBD. We publish our methodology; you can audit it." Then point to the docs.
❌ "Polycam doesn't work outdoors."¶
Why off-limits: It does work outdoors; it's just not a compliance tool.
Correct version: "Polycam does work outdoors as a 3D scanner; it does not produce ArcGIS-native compliance-mapped outputs. Different purpose."
Investor / company claims that are OFF-LIMITS¶
❌ "We're going public in 2027."¶
Why off-limits: Forward-looking; not committed.
❌ "$X million in ARR."¶
Why off-limits: Revenue numbers are confidential.
❌ "We're profitable."¶
Why off-limits: We're not, and stating financial state inaccurately is materially misleading.
❌ "We have $X million in the bank."¶
Why off-limits: Cash position is confidential.
❌ "[Specific investor] is on our board."¶
Why off-limits: Cap-table and board-membership disclosures are sensitive. Public investor list is okay; board claims are not.
❌ "We're acquired-ready by [Big Tech / Defense / Engineering] firm."¶
Why off-limits: No M&A activity to claim. Speculative; risky.
Customer claims that are OFF-LIMITS¶
❌ "[Big Customer Name] is using LAIRA at scale."¶
Why off-limits: Unless the customer has authorized public mention AND has a deployment of size we can substantiate, this is misleading.
Correct version (for SBD): "San Bernardino International Airport has been using LAIRA since November 2025; Esri published the joint case study."
Correct version (for Wright-Patterson): "We've signed a Letter of Authorization with the 88th Operations Support Squadron at Wright-Patterson AFB and are in a 90-day trial."
❌ "We work with the Department of War."¶
Why off-limits: Vague and overclaiming. We have specific authorized engagements, not a Department-of-War-wide relationship.
Correct version: "We have specific federal engagements including the Wright-Patterson LOA and the Navy SBIR Phase II program."
❌ "[Customer X] told us LAIRA is the best."¶
Why off-limits: Customer testimonials require explicit permission AND should be quoted directly, not paraphrased.
Pricing claims that are OFF-LIMITS¶
❌ "Price goes up tomorrow!" (when it doesn't)¶
Why off-limits: False urgency. UDAP violation. Brand erosion.
❌ "We never discount."¶
Why off-limits: False; we do discount. See trial-and-discount-authority.md.
❌ "Free forever."¶
Why off-limits: Pro is not free forever; only the Free tier has continuing free access. Free-tier limits apply.
❌ "Lifetime Pro for $X."¶
Why off-limits: Lifetime offers are not part of our pricing; they destroy unit economics.
Marketing tactics that are OFF-LIMITS¶
❌ Fake App Store reviews¶
Why off-limits: Apple ToS violation. Permanent app removal risk. Brand-destroying when exposed.
❌ Buying email lists of unknown origin¶
Why off-limits: GDPR / CAN-SPAM / CASL violations. Deliverability suicide.
❌ AI-generated fake testimonials¶
Why off-limits: Brand-destroying. Legal exposure.
❌ Spamming residential phone numbers via autodialer¶
Why off-limits: TCPA violation. $500-$1,500 per call statutory damages.
❌ Sending unsolicited bulk email to scraped emails¶
Why off-limits: GDPR / CAN-SPAM violation. Deliverability degradation.
❌ Cold-DMing every prospect on LinkedIn at the same time¶
Why off-limits: LinkedIn account suspension. Channel destruction.
❌ Cloaking ad copy (different ad to ad-platform vs. customer)¶
Why off-limits: Ad platform ToS violation.
❌ Trademark bidding on competitor terms¶
Why off-limits: Legally risky; case-law disputed. Don't open the door.
Things you can mention but should be careful about¶
- Federal customers — anonymize unless explicitly authorized
- Specific deal sizes — never quote externally
- Internal Airwai team dynamics or politics — not the call center's lane
- Roadmap features that haven't shipped — don't promise dates
- Customer-specific use cases that haven't been published — anonymize
When in doubt — the test¶
Ask yourself: "Could a customer screen-shot this and post it to LinkedIn / Reddit / X, and would Airwai be comfortable?"
If the answer is "no" or "I don't know" — don't say it. Send a draft to Amir first.
The cost of one wrong claim is much higher than the cost of one delayed deal.