one app · 5 working days
Express
$3500
One codebase. The verdict, the six answers and the cost to fix each problem, in plain English.
tech due diligence · before you invest or buy
Know what you’re buying before you sign.
A plain-English report on the app’s code, security and costs, with a verdict and the cost to fix each problem. Fixed price, on your deal’s timeline.
You'll talk to me, Lucian
what the report answers
Six questions, answered before you sign.
For angel investors, small funds and buyers of small software companies. And for founders getting ready to raise.
Is the tech as good as they say?
A verdict in one line, then the reasons: how it is built, what is tested and what breaks first.
Is customer data safe?
Who can see what, where passwords and payments go and what is open to the internet.
Who owns the code and the accounts?
The code, the domain, hosting, app stores and every paid service, and whose name each one is in.
What does it cost to run?
The monthly bills line by line, and which of them grow with the number of users.
Can it run without the founder?
What only one person knows, and what it takes for someone new to keep it running.
What will it cost to fix after we buy?
Every problem with a price and a deadline: before closing, in the first 90 days or whenever you like.
a sample page
Every problem comes with a deadline and a price.
The layout every report follows. These findings are the kind I look for, not a client’s. The costs are what each fix costs from me.
verdict
Safe to buy after two fixes, both before closing.
Security
Any signed-in customer can open another customer’s invoices by changing a number in the address.
$390 one Single Fix
Ownership
The domain and the app store account are in the founder’s personal name.
$0 transferred in the deal
Code
No automated tests, and the payment code is copied in three places.
$1500 one Rescue Sprint
Running costs
Two databases nobody uses are still billed every month.
$0 cancel them
The AiudApp case is written the same way: measured numbers, not adjectives. Read the AiudApp case
the price
Two reports, both fixed price.
up to 3 codebases · date agreed in writing
Standard
$6500
Up to three codebases, such as a web app, a mobile app and the backend. Everything in Express, an interview with the team and a 30/60/90-day plan for after the deal.
- The price is fixed and agreed in writing before I start.
- It is never a percentage of the deal, so the verdict doesn’t depend on the deal closing.
- If the report is late against the date we agreed, it costs 20% less.
US dollars, excluding VAT where it applies.
the timeline
Five working days on Express, from access to the report.
Free 15-minute call
The deal, the app and the closing date. I tell you whether I can report in time and which report fits. No access needed yet.
Price and date in writing
A fixed price and a delivery date, agreed before I start. The seller gives me read-only access to the code and hosting.
The checks
The code, security, ownership and the bills. Nothing in the app is changed. Standard adds an interview with the team.
The report
Day five on Express, the agreed date on Standard. A verdict, the six answers and the cost to fix each problem.
questions
Before you book.
- Do you take a percentage of the deal?
- No. The price is fixed and agreed in writing before I start, whatever the deal size. I’m paid the same whether it closes or not.
- What if the report is late?
- It costs 20% less, against the date we agreed in writing.
- What access do you need?
- Read-only access to the code and hosting, given by the seller. I don’t change anything in the app, and the access can be removed the day the report arrives.
- I’m the founder. Can I order one before I raise?
- Yes. Investors will look at your tech, so you see the answers first, with a list of what to fix before they ask.
- When is it not worth it?
- When the app isn’t why you’re buying. If the business would run the same on a spreadsheet, a report on its code won’t change your decision. I’ll say so on the call.
- What happens after the deal?
- Nothing, unless you want it. The report is yours. If the app needs someone senior afterwards, I work as a fractional CTO from $3500 a month.