Practice · M&A & Diligence
You're about to buy a product. Do you know what you're getting?
A deal looks good on the spreadsheet. Then the product turns out harder to integrate than planned, the roadmap doesn't hold, and the cross-sell never happens. In a software deal, much of the value is won or lost in the product and in the first 100 days after close.
When to call
- A deal is in diligence, and you need a product and technology view you can trust.
- You're weighing whether to build a capability or buy it.
- A bolt-on has closed, and two teams are building overlapping products.
- The integration is slipping, and the cross-sell hasn't started.
What the work covers
- Product and technical diligence. Whether the product is real, what it will cost to fix, and whether the roadmap holds up.
- Build or buy. The cost and speed of building a capability, weighed against the targets worth buying.
- The first 100 days. The product, team and go-to-market moves that start paying back the deal.
- Post-close integration. Which products converge, which teams combine, and how the cross-sell actually happens.
How an engagement runs
2 to 4 weeks
Diligence sprint
Product and technical diligence on a target. Ends with a written view of the risks, the cost to fix and the integration effort.
3 to 6 months
Embedded program
I run the first 100 days after close, through product and team integration.
Ongoing
Advisory
A standing seat for the deal team or the CEO across a buy-and-build program.
Part- or full-time
Interim or fractional
I step in as integration lead, or as interim head of the acquired product line, until the integration is done.
From the work
- Part of three M&A deals and multiple due-diligence reviews, from target screening to post-close integration.
- Sourced an acquisition target and ran the diligence, then shipped the product as SaaS on AWS Marketplace within 90 days of close.
- Integrated products and teams after several acquisitions, from a large company's product line to venture-backed startups.
Let's talk.
Tell me what's changed and where the plan feels stuck. The first conversation is free, takes about 45 minutes, and ends with a clear view of how I can help.