Proof of concept: a non-technical founder’s guide to the PoC
What a software studio is really selling when they pitch you a proof of concept, and the four-question test for the non-technical founder before signing the check.
Technical due diligence: a non-technical founder’s prep guide
What investors and acquirers actually look at during a technical due diligence, the seven red flags that flunk deals, and a four-week prep playbook for non-technical founders facing…
Staff augmentation: when it’s the right call, when it’s a trap, and how to tell
Staff augmentation is the most over-pitched delivery model in software services. Here's when it actually works, the trap it sets for non-technical founders, and a four-question test before…
Technical debt: the non-technical founder’s guide (4 types, diagnostic)
Technical debt is a business decision, not a developer's problem. The non-technical founder's guide to the four types that matter and a four-question diagnostic.
Software development contract: what a non-technical founder is actually buying when they sign
What a software development contract should actually do for a non-technical founder, the five clauses that matter, the three traps in standard templates, and when the 40-page version…
RFP for software development: why most non-technical founders are using the wrong instrument
Why an RFP is the wrong instrument for early-stage custom software, and the five-paragraph partner brief that fits the work instead.
Source code escrow: why most non-technical founders get pitched the wrong fix
Source code escrow protects enterprise buyers from large vendors going bankrupt. It is the wrong instrument for an early-stage startup buying custom software from a small studio.
Technical advisor: the lightest hire a non-technical founder can make
A non-technical founder's guide to technical advisors: what 0.25–1% equity actually buys, the three failure patterns, and the four conversations to have before signing.
Founding engineer: what a non-technical founder needs to know before making the hire
A founding engineer is the highest-stakes hire a non-technical founder makes. Here is what you are actually buying, the three traps to avoid, the equity math, and the…
Feature creep: the founder is usually the source
A field guide for non-technical founders on what feature creep really is, why the standard "say no" advice doesn't help you, and the three-source diagnosis plus one-question test…