Rule: refuse to compete on the lead-generation platform value proposition; Candid's category is owned-asset infrastructure

Rule: Candid is not the cheaper, smarter version of HomeStars or Angi Leads. Pretending to compete in that category invites the buyer's existing skepticism (which is well-calibrated, per the FTC record — [[ftc-homeadvisor-angi-jan-2023-7-2m-order]] — and the Vermont AG settlement — [[vermont-ag-angi-100k-settlement-oct-2025]]).

Candid's category is owned-asset marketing infrastructure: websites, content, brand, custom development, structured data, performance engineering, attribution discipline. Not paid-lead procurement, not review-platform optimization, not "we'll send you contractors." This distinction needs to be made early and explicitly in every sales conversation.

Why: The "agency-burned" narrative concerns lead-gen marketplaces, not full-service marketing agencies, but the GC audience often does not distinguish ([[buildern-2026-1-8-to-3-2pct-residential-builder-spend]] — too few have invested enough to know the difference). Active category-disambiguation is therefore required, not optional. Pairs with Contractor owned-trust-signal stack: HCRA / Tarion / RenoMark / WRHBA / OHBA / CHBA / COR / WSIB / Gold Seal / insurance / ENERGY STAR / Net-Zero / LEED AP / GuildQuality / Google Business Profile — verifiable, portable, free-or-low-cost — HomeStars cannot replicate any of these and HomeStars rent-vs-own evidence: when a contractor stops paying, profile reverts to "no longer with HomeStars" status, reviews remain HomeStars's property and cannot be exported to GBP or contractor site.

How to apply: First sentence of Candid's "what we do" framing is a category-disambiguation sentence. Every contractor pitch begins by naming what Candid is not.