Top-Down Signals: Start with a list of accounts, then search for signals across the open web or other data sources.

Bottom-Up Signals: Start by defining a signal or pain point, then search for it within specific data sources.

"Find all companies in this source that [XYZ]." (XYZ being pretty generalizable)

This requires custom indexing of the underlying data source to answer intent-based queries.

Why bottom-up gets better context:

Your search is hyper-targeted by context. Every matching account has a strong signal by definition - you've nailed both precision and recall.

Starting with an account list is problematic. Signals happen in real time, and you can't control when they appear. Backdated signals are often stale.

When you search for custom context + timing across your TAM, you surface a larger pool of relevant accounts. Do this over time and you build a differentiated database with context no one else has.

Think of it as building Apollo or ZoomInfo - but for your specific product.

Not a generic contact database. A live context database.