Insights & Research.
Practical perspectives on technology leadership, due diligence, and building engineering organisations that actually deliver
Your Company Has a Technology Problem. Are You Sure It's Not a Product Problem?
Most companies that think their technology team is underperforming actually have a product leadership gap. Here's how to tell - using the same diagnostic we apply across 100+ assessments.
What Is Vibe Coding? And Why It's Not Enough
Vibe coding is the lowest rung of AI-assisted development. Here's the maturity spectrum from reactive prompting to agentic engineering, and why the difference matters commercially.
AI Due Diligence: What You Need to Know
How to assess AI claims in technology due diligence - from practitioners with hands-on AI delivery experience and PhD-level expertise.
First-Time CTO: What Nobody Tells You
Most CTO advice is generic because the role is different in every context. Here's how to diagnose which kind of CTO you need to be, and what that means for your first 90 days.
What We Actually Assess in Technology Due Diligence (From 100+ Transactions)
What experienced DD assessors actually look for: and what generic checklists miss. Patterns from 100+ PE, VC, and M&A transactions.
How a Pre-Sale Technology Assessment Creates Value (Not Just Prevents Surprises)
Most sell-side DD advice focuses on fixing problems before the buyer finds them. The real opportunity is bigger: evidencing strengths, developing opportunities, and commanding a higher price.
The AI Landscape in 2026: Where the Big Players Stand and What It Means for Your Strategy
A practitioner's map of the AI market: who is winning, where the gaps are, and why small models matter more than most strategies acknowledge.
Technology Due Diligence Checklist: What a Proper Assessment Actually Covers
The technology due diligence checklist used by experienced operators - structured around the 5P Framework: Product, Platform, Process, Protection, People.
Cursor vs Claude Code vs Copilot: Which AI Coding Tool Should Your Team Standardise On?
A CTO's decision framework for AI coding tools - from practitioners who use all three daily across dozens of engagements. The tool matters less than you think.
When Should You Hire a Fractional CTO?
The seven signals that indicate it's time to hire a fractional CTO, and the common mistakes companies make instead. From practitioners, not theorists.
What We Actually Assess in an AI Readiness Review (From Dozens of Portfolio Companies)
What experienced AI assessors actually evaluate, and what self-reported maturity questionnaires miss. Patterns from dozens of PE portfolio company assessments.
From AI Chaos to Strategic Advantage: How Investors Should Evaluate Portfolio Company Readiness
Most investors are drowning in AI noise. How to transform vague AI aspirations into concrete, measurable progress across your portfolio.
Fractional CTOs: Unlocking Value in UK Midmarket PE
PE distributions are at their lowest since 2009. How fractional CTOs are driving operational value creation in the UK mid-market.
AI Readiness Assessment: What Investors Should Actually Measure
Most AI readiness assessments are self-reported maturity questionnaires. Here's what to measure instead, from practitioners who assess AI capability across PE portfolios.
The AI Diligence Gap Is Real. Here's How to Close It.
AI diligence sits in an awkward gap between commercial and technical assessment. Here's what investors need to close it.
Technology DD Report: What Buyers and Sellers Should Expect
What a credible technology due diligence report contains, how to read one, and how buyers and sellers should respond to what it finds.
The Non-Technical CEO's Guide to Managing Technology
You don't need to understand code. You need to understand these 5 things about your technology, a practical guide for non-technical CEOs.
Is Your Tech Team Any Good? 10 Signs That Tell You
10 signs that reveal whether your tech team is performing - written for non-technical CEOs by CTOs who've assessed 100+ teams.
What can Intercom's £100M bet teach PE Operators?
Intercom's dramatic AI pivot offers a masterclass in strategic transformation, and raises crucial questions about mandate and risk in PE.
What Does a Fractional CTO Cost in the UK? (2026 Guide)
UK fractional CTO engagement models, what drives cost, and how to evaluate value. From a firm with 20+ active engagements.
Fractional CTO vs Interim CTO vs Full-Time: Which Do You Need?
The real differences between fractional, interim, and full-time CTOs, with a decision framework from operators who've served in all three roles.
How Mid-Market CEOs Can Deploy AI at Lightning Speed (Without Cutting Corners)
An interview with Roja Buck, Founding Partner at Rational Partners, on navigating AI adoption without creating compliance nightmares.
Why Your Tech Team Isn't Delivering (From Someone Who Fixes Them)
The 5 actual reasons tech teams deliver slowly, from operators who've diagnosed and fixed this problem in 100+ companies.
What is a Fractional CTO? The Complete UK Guide
What a fractional CTO actually does, what they cost in the UK, and how to know if you need one. From a firm that's placed 20+ fractional CTOs.
You Failed Tech DD. Now What?
Failed technology due diligence doesn't mean a dead deal. Here's what's fixable, what isn't, and how long remediation takes.
Inside the Real Deals Due Diligence Report 2025: What It Tells Us About Where PE Diligence Is Heading
What the Real Deals DD Report 2025 reveals about the evolving diligence landscape - and why technology has moved to the centre of it.
Private Credit is Booming. Technology Due Diligence Hasn't Caught Up.
Private credit funds face a growing tail risk of asset ownership they're not equipped to evaluate. Technology DD is the missing piece.
The Proactivity Playbook
Proactive technology audits help sellers avoid mid-process surprises and protect value when acquirers push hard on risk and execution.
Your CTO Just Left, The 30-Day Survival Plan
Your CTO just resigned. Here's exactly what to do in the next 30 days, from someone who's stepped into this situation 10+ times.
Technology expertise founded in first-hand experience as Founders, CEOs and CTOs for some of the biggest names in technology, private equity, and venture capital.