Whether to buy, invest, go ahead, renegotiate, replace a developer, take over a product, approve a roadmap or rebuild from scratch.
Copy the questions below and send your answers to this address from any email:
hello@mikeoladapo.com
An independent opinion before an expensive decision
Find out what the software can handle, what it'll cost to fix, and what needs to change before you commit.
For investors, buyers, venture studios, agencies and non-technical founders looking at an existing product, a development company, code they've inherited or a delivery plan.
No mail app? Copy the fit-check questions.
Who this is for
The code and its history, how it's built and deployed, the servers, the bug list, the release state, the technical docs, or time with the current team.
The risks in order, what they mean for cost and time, what's still unknown, and a clear recommendation: go ahead, renegotiate, pause or fix first.
As deep as the decision needs
Three options
Technical Diligence Sprint
From $2,500
- A review of how it's built, the code, the servers and how it's released
- Security and data risks I spot within what we agreed to look at
- What needs cleaning up, whether a rebuild is likely, and a short memo to help you decide
Best for one product and one specific decision.
Deep Diligence
From $5,000
- A wider review of the code and systems
- Risks around the team, delivery, outside developers, third-party services and what happens if key people leave
- A walkthrough with management and a plan for fixing things
Priced once I know what access I'll have, how complex the product is and what your committee needs.
Fractional CTO
From $3,000/month
- Product and architecture decisions
- Overseeing developers or outside teams, and how releases go out
- Hiring, roadmap, risk and reporting to leadership
This doesn't include unlimited development. We write down what I'm responsible for, when I'm available and what I can decide before we start.
What I can look at
Product, architecture, and maintainability
Core user journeys, service boundaries, data model, deployment shape, testing evidence, documentation, technical debt, coupling, and the practical cost of change.
Authentication, data, AI, and third parties
Access control, tenant separation, sensitive data handling, model and provider dependencies, observability, failure behaviour, licensing exposure, and vendor concentration.
Delivery and continuity
Repository history, release process, environment ownership, key-person dependencies, vendor claims, team capability, operational handover, and the first 30–90 days of remediation.
Background
I review software as someone who's had to ship it and keep it running
I've built and run SaaS products, AI features, mobile apps, payments, property software and privacy-focused products, and done consulting across several products at once. I've also built tools that check code before launch, so I'm used to separating what people claim from what the code actually shows.
What this isn't
- It's not a legal opinion, a financial valuation or a regulatory certificate.
- It's not a security penetration test, unless we agree one separately with the right people.
- If something is unknown, I say so. I don't turn guesses into confident numbers.
- It doesn't guarantee how the product, the team or the investment will do in future.
Next step
Tell me what you're deciding, what there is to look at, and when you need an answer.
Before we start, I'll confirm how deep to go, what access I need, how long it'll take and the fixed scope.
Start a diligence conversation