What a technical due-diligence review actually finds

A technical due-diligence review is the cheapest way to find out whether a software asset is a durable asset or a time bomb. Here are the five findings that recur most.

1. The “hero code”

One person who understands the critical path. If they leave, the system is at risk. We score how much knowledge is documented and how replaceable each owner is.

2. Test debt

Low or zero test coverage on the highest-risk modules. It doesn’t mean the software is broken — it means it’s expensive to change.

3. The cloud bill

Unoptimized infrastructure that scales linearly with revenue. Often a 20–40% reduction is available with a week of work.

4. Framework obsolescence

A core dependency abandoned or mid-major-break. The cost of the migration, priced out.

5. The on-call reality

How often it’s down, and how long it takes to recover. Runbooks that exist on paper but were never followed.

A good review doesn’t just list problems — it prices them and sequences the fixes.