How I built my EB-1A profile as a founder.

Why the first filing failed

• Press was in outlets that cover every funding round, so it failed the 'major media' test
• Original contribution claims described the product, not its influence on the industry
• The final merits determination was barely addressed - criteria were listed, significance was not argued

The rebuild

Each claim was rewritten to answer a single question: how did the field change because of this work?

• Replaced funding-announcement clippings with a trade publication feature and two podcast transcripts
• Documented that three competitors adopted a technical approach the company published first
• Added judging evidence from an accelerator selection committee
• Benchmarked compensation with a third-party report rather than a self-declared figure

The final merits argument

The second petition opened with a two-page comparison against the ordinary practitioner in the field, then used the criteria as supporting exhibits. That structure mirrors the way adjudicators actually read the file.