The Art of CTO Technology Due Diligence is a guided 5-part assessment that combines codebase health, architecture maturity, security posture, vendor risk, and tech debt into a comprehensive PDF report for M&A, investment, or audit scenarios.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a technology due diligence assessment cover?
A comprehensive tech due diligence covers five areas: codebase health (code quality, test coverage, dependencies), architecture maturity (scalability, modularity, documentation), security posture (vulnerabilities, compliance, access controls), vendor risk (third-party dependencies, lock-in, licensing), and tech debt (volume, severity, remediation cost). The goal is to quantify technical risk and estimate post-acquisition investment needs.
When should you conduct technology due diligence?
Technology due diligence is essential before any acquisition, merger, or significant investment in a software company. It should begin during the letter of intent phase and complete before closing. Beyond M&A, annual internal tech due diligence reviews help CTOs proactively identify risks, justify infrastructure investments to the board, and benchmark against industry standards.
How long does a technology due diligence take?
A thorough technology due diligence typically takes 2-4 weeks depending on the complexity of the target system. This includes 1-2 days for initial data gathering, 1-2 weeks for detailed technical analysis across all five domains, and 3-5 days for report preparation. Rushing the process risks missing critical issues that could cost millions post-acquisition in remediation or replatforming.