We look at the system, not just the codebase
Generally speaking, technical due diligence is more than just a code review. A code review can certainly be a part of it, but for the most part, it focuses on the team’s abilities, overall architecture, and any liabilities that might be there.
Protect investments, forecast futures
Technical due diligence is a highly recommended component of the technology company investment cycle, and smart investors work with companies like ours to help shed light on the technical aspects of their potential investments.
There are a few things we look for that tend to be consistent no matter the investor or type of business
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing team?
- What technical roles will the team need as the company continues to grow?
- Does the company have appropriate ownership of their “special sauce”?
- Has the team implemented appropriate processes for things like project management, source control, and developer churn?
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As we talk with members of the team, we try to understand the finer details of an application, how its various systems work, and what trials and tribulations the developers went through while building and supporting it.
With this proper background for a code review, we are able to look for use of best practices, complexity, test coverage, security vulnerabilities, and opportunities for growth. We’ll compile all of our recommended changes and reasoning behind them—and if you choose, we can implement the changes for you as well.
Ultimately, what we try to deliver is an overview of what we would do if we were brought in as CTO tomorrow, to get the company where they want it to be in 3, 5, or 10 years. Typically this will include things like
- Opinions on existing team members’ strengths and weaknesses
- Product roadmap defining high-level features and timelines
- A hardware and software technology summary
- Identifying key risks related to technology
- Recommended actions to reduce risk
Whether you’re with an investment firm, or you’re in the process of raising a round and wanted better understand what to expect, we would love to talk about how we could help you with your next deal.