How to prepare for technical due diligence?

Prepare by auditing your codebase for technical debt, documenting your architecture, ensuring IP assignment agreements are complete, implementing AI governance policies, and identifying key person dependencies. Work with an experienced technical due diligence consultant to identify and address potential red flags before investor review.

What do VCs look for in tech due diligence?

VCs look for three main technical red flags: Hollow Core architecture that can't scale, Shadow AI IP leakage through unmanaged AI tool usage, and AI Whisperer risk where critical systems depend on single individuals. They also assess technical debt, security practices, and overall founder competency.

How long does technical due diligence take?

Technical due diligence typically takes 3-5 days for a comprehensive assessment, though timeline varies based on complexity. A rapid red flag analysis can be completed in 24-72 hours, while full investment committee reports require 1-2 weeks including documentation and risk matrix preparation.

Pavel Shpin - Technical Due Diligence Expert

Navigate investor TDD with confidence.
Secure your valuation.

The time between a term sheet and money-in-the-bank is stressful. I'm here to be the founder on your side of the table.

Prepare for Your Investor TDD

I've Been in Your Shoes.

I've bootstrapped a company from zero, navigated economic collapse, and managed a successful exit. I know the pressure you're under. My role isn't to find fault; it's to be your advocate and guide, ensuring you present your hard work in the best possible light and build a foundation of trust with your new partners.

What Investors Really Look For

Investors aren't just looking for bugs. They're looking for deeper, systemic issues like a 'Hollow Core' architecture that can't scale, or a 'Single-Threaded' team that creates massive dependency risk. We'll work together to identify and frame these issues proactively, turning potential liabilities into demonstrations of your strategic awareness.

The Three Technical Red Flags

Hollow Core

A beautiful UI built upon a brittle, non-scalable foundation

Process Debt

Inefficient manual workflows that stifle growth and destroy margins

Single-Threaded Team

Over-reliance on a single 'hero' developer creating massive dependency

The Goal: A Smooth, Successful Close

Close your round faster, without last-minute surprises.

Protect your valuation from technically-driven reductions.

Build a stronger technical foundation for post-investment growth.

Start your new investor relationship from a position of strength and trust.

Preparing for AI-Era Due Diligence

The AI era demands new due diligence expertise. I help you establish proper AI governance policies, audit your team's usage of generative AI tools, assess the maintainability of AI-generated code, and identify critical AI system dependencies before investors do. This collaborative process transforms potential deal-killers into demonstrations of your technical sophistication and forward-thinking leadership.

"Generative AI is industrializing the creation of technical debt. AI code assistants are like junior developers with infinite speed, zero context, and no architectural awareness. The bottleneck is no longer writing code; it's managing the complexity that code creates."
— from the AI-Era Playbook

DevTools (Series A)

Readiness sprint: instituted AI usage policy, remediated high-risk AI-generated code, crafted investor narrative.

Fintech (Seed)

Pre-diligence checklist and rehearsals; addressed key-person risk and demonstrated observability improvements.

Get Investor-Ready.