When asked about his process, Michelangelo once said:
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
It’s a poetic way to describe what is, at its core, a process of removal, refinement, and revelation.
And honestly—it reminds me a lot of tech due diligence.
Because sometimes, our job isn’t to spot what’s broken.
It’s to chip away the noise and uncover the value that’s already there, just waiting to be seen.
TechDD as a Sculptor’s Craft
Most people think due diligence is about pointing out risk—and sure, that’s part of it.
But the most powerful DD work? It’s about unlocking potential.
We’re not building from scratch. We’re revealing what’s buried beneath:
- Oversized infrastructure bills hiding in plain sight.
- Undervalued engineering teams solving complex problems without the spotlight.
- Roadmaps filled with potential but missing clear ROI articulation.
Like Michelangelo, we sometimes see the angel before anyone else can.
Examples of Hidden Value We’ve Uncovered
Here are a few recent moments where a little sculpting revealed a lot:
💰 £200k/year in Tech Infrastructure Savings
One portfolio firm had grown fast, but its cloud footprint hadn’t kept up with financial scrutiny.
We restructured their architecture and identified long-term savings of £2m over 10 years, without compromising performance.
🧠 Coaching Instead of Recruiting
The instinct was to replace a key technical lead who “wasn’t strategic enough.”
Instead, we coached them through delivery clarity and investor-facing narrative work. Within weeks, they were leading confidently—and saving the business a costly hire.
📈 Roadmap ROI, Granular & Sharp
In another case, we helped a founder translate their product vision into a milestone-based roadmap, clearly showing ROI gates and investment returns at each release.
That clarity changed the tone of negotiations entirely.
The Takeaway
Michelangelo didn’t create the angel—he revealed it.
And in the same way, great tech DD doesn’t invent value. It illuminates it.
If you’re about to back a tech business, or already own one that feels a bit “rough stone,” maybe the angel’s already in there.
You just need the right tools—and someone who knows where to chisel.
When you need a hand, our chisel’s ready.
