The biggest check isn't always the best deal.

The 30-second answer

Compare NIL deals on six financial variables, not the headline number: after-tax dollars, cash versus product versus equity, when the money actually arrives, hours demanded per dollar, what the deal blocks you from taking, and whether the payer reliably pays. The smaller offer wins more often than you'd think.

The six variables

1. Real dollars, after taxes
2. Cash vs. product vs. equity
3. Payment schedule
4. Time cost per dollar
5. What it does to future deals
6. Reliability of the payer

How to run the comparison

Put both deals in after-tax dollars using a rough 30% tax reserve. Convert non-cash pieces to conservative cash values, divide each total by the hours demanded, subtract the value of anything each deal blocks, and have your CPA and attorney read anything before you sign.

Pam's take

Every athlete compares the top-line numbers. Almost nobody compares the hours, the taxes, and the doors each deal closes. That second comparison is where the real answer lives.