Vigilant Diligence by Michael Ellan.

Technical due diligence for voracious venture capitalists.

Required: Product demo, code repository access (NDA-compliant), and 30-minute meetings with a product owner/sales-engineer (sr. level+ preferred) and/or architect/engineer (staff level+ preferred).

Deliverables: Unbiased technical perspective via summerical analysis focusing on the areas listed.

Timeframe: 72 hours once minimumrequirements are met unless otherwise agreed upon.

Fee & Terms: $10k payable within 10 business days of delivery, 20% retainer on our first collaboration.

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Technology Stack & Architecture

Overview blurb about the subject(s).

Areas of Focus

  • Current Stack: What technologies are used, and are they modern, scalable, and maintainable?
  • Architecture Design: Is the system designed for scalability and flexibility (e.g., microservices vs. monolith)?
  • Technical Debt: Are there areas of the codebase that require significant refactoring or pose maintenance challenges?
  • Documentation: Is there comprehensive documentation for the codebase and system architecture?

Technical Debt & Maintenance

Overview blurb about the subject(s).

Areas of Focus

  • Code Quality: What is the overall quality of the codebase?
  • Refactoring Needs: Are there areas that require significant refactoring?
  • Maintenance Processes: How are bugs tracked and resolved?
  • Legacy Systems: Are there legacy systems that pose risks or hinder development?

Scalability & Performance

Overview blurb about the subject(s).

Areas of Focus

  • Load Testing: Has the system been tested under high load conditions?
  • Performance Metrics: What are the key performance indicators, and how are they monitored?
  • Bottlenecks: Are there known performance bottlenecks?
  • Future Growth: Can the system handle projected user growth and data volume?

Software Development Lifecycle & Processes

Overview blurb about the subject(s).

Areas of Focus

  • Load Testing: Has the system been tested under high load conditions?
  • Performance Metrics: What are the key performance indicators, and how are they monitored?
  • Bottlenecks: Are there known performance bottlenecks?
  • Future Growth: Can the system handle projected user growth and data volume?

Team & Organizational Structure

Overview blurb about the subject(s).

Areas of Focus

  • Team Composition: What is the structure of the engineering and product teams?
  • Roles & Responsibilities: Are roles clearly defined, and is there effective collaboration between teams?
  • Talent Quality and Retention: Assess high-level quality of technical talent. What is the turnover rate, and how does the company retain key technical talent?
  • Leadership: Does the technical leadership have a strong vision and the ability to execute the product strategy?

Security Operations & Compliance

Overview blurb about the subject(s).

Areas of Focus

  • Security Practices: What measures are in place to protect against security threats?
  • Data Protection: How is sensitive data handled, stored, and protected?
  • Compliance: Does the company comply with relevant regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)?
  • Incident Response: Is there a documented plan for responding to security incidents?

Development Operations & Infrastructure

Overview blurb about the subject(s).

Areas of Focus

  • Hosting Environment: Where is the application hosted (e.g., cloud providers, on-premises)?
  • Scalability: Can the infrastructure handle increased load and scale as needed?
  • Monitoring & Logging: How is the system monitored, and are there alerts for critical issues?
  • Disaster Recovery: What are the backup and disaster recovery plans?

Intellectual Property & Legal Considerations

Overview blurb about the subject(s).

Areas of Focus

  • Code Ownership: Does the company own all the code, or are there third-party dependencies?
  • Licensing: Are all software licenses properly documented and compliant?
  • Patent Portfolio: Are there any patents or pending applications that protect the technology?
  • Legal Risks: Are there any ongoing or potential legal issues related to the technology?