FAQ
Questions buyers ask before commissioning a review.
These are the questions founders, directors and investors ask before they commission an independent code and architecture review or technical due diligence. The answers are short and in plain English.
If yours is not here, send it to me and I will answer it in writing.
FAQ
Working with me
Do you do the work yourself?
Yes. I run the application and test it myself, and I do not hand the review to anyone else. You deal with me from the first conversation to the last follow-up question.
How long does a review take?
The three review options run for 5, 7 to 8 and 10 to 12 business days. The clock starts when I have the material and we have agreed confidentiality. Which option fits depends on what is being reviewed and what is at stake, and the code and architecture review page sets them out.
What do you need from me?
Read access to the code repositories, a read-only role in the cloud account, viewer access to the hosting, a staging environment with seeded data to run against, and any architecture documentation you have. I also need someone who can answer factual questions about how the system is set up.
Do I have to get on a call to start?
No. If you want a written record, the whole first conversation can be by email. A call is optional, and anything agreed on a call is confirmed in writing before work starts.
FAQ
Reviews
What do I receive at the end of a review?
A written report in plain English. Findings are ranked by severity, and each one comes with the evidence behind it and a recommended fix your developer can act on. A walkthrough call goes through the report with you. The longer options add a mid-point check and 30 days of follow-up questions by email.
Will I get a clear answer on whether to continue, fix first or rebuild?
Yes, and it is stated plainly in writing with the evidence behind it. Continue means the codebase is in good enough shape to build on. Fix first means it is worth keeping, with a short list to deal with in priority order. Rebuild means the foundations cannot carry what you need, and the report says what to keep.
What if you find nothing serious?
Then you get a clear written verdict saying so, with the evidence behind it. That is a useful result: it tells you what you can rely on and what to watch as you grow. The fee covers the review, not a minimum number of findings.
What if the answer is to rebuild?
You choose what happens next. You can stop with a short written verdict, with the evidence and an outline of what to keep and what to replace. The 50% paid on engagement covers the work to that point, with no further fee. Or I can re-scope the remaining days to the rebuild question, covering the approach and what to salvage, at the same fee.
Can you review code that was written with AI tools?
Yes. It does not matter which tool was used. I review what is actually there, in the repository and in the running system, and report on what is ready and what is not.
Will you fix what you find?
The review is a review only, and I make no changes to your code. After the report I can walk your developer through the fixes. Some clients take the report to their own team, and others ask me to quote the fix as separate work.
FAQ
Fees and terms
How is the fee set?
Each review is a fixed fee, agreed in writing before you commit. You see one figure and the scope it covers, and there is no clause that lets the price rise after you commit. The options and their published fees are on the code and architecture review page.
When do I pay?
Half on engagement and half on delivery of the report. The mid-point check on the longer options is a call, not a payment point.
Is fixing the problems included in the fee?
No. The fee covers the review only, with no source changes. Any remediation is quoted separately, and commissioning the review does not commit you to it.
What if the size is different from what you described?
If the material turns out to be materially bigger or different from your description, I tell you within the first two days, before going further. If the size or complexity looks very different before you commit, I confirm one fixed figure with you in writing first.
What if something unexpected turns up once the work has started?
Any change is agreed in writing before I go further. Nothing is added to the fee without your agreement.
FAQ
Confidentiality and access
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes. I will review and sign your NDA. Confidentiality is agreed before I receive the material, and the timescale runs from that point.
Is your access read-only?
Yes. I ask for read access to the repositories and a read-only cloud role, and I change nothing in your systems. Access can be revoked the moment the engagement ends.
Do I have to give you live customer data?
No. I prefer a staging environment with seeded data to live records. If something only shows in production, we agree first how it is examined: read-only, and with no personal data leaving your environment.
Can the material include personal data?
I ask that the material you share contains no production personal data. Seeded or test data is enough for the review.
FAQ
Independence
Are you independent of the people who built the software?
Yes. I have no stake in the original build or in what I find. I form my own view from the code, the running system and the configuration before I discuss design with your developers.
Do you talk to the developers who built it?
Yes, but the questions I put to them before I have formed a view are factual setup questions only, such as how to run something. After the report I can walk the developer through the fixes.
Does your fractional CTO work affect the review?
No. Fractional CTO work is a separate engagement, offered only after the review and only if you ask. It has no bearing on the review.
Will you push me towards a bigger option?
No. If your questions sit inside the option you are leaning towards, I will say so and leave it there.
FAQ
Overseas clients
What currency are your fees in?
My rates are in GBP. I can quote in USD or EUR on request.
Do you work with clients outside the UK?
Yes. I work remotely with clients worldwide, and meeting times are set around yours.
Tell me what you have.
Send a short description by email or arrange a call. If you prefer a written record, we can keep the whole conversation in writing.
Get in touch