Ideas

Technical due diligence is broken: going beyond the checklist

Most technical due diligence audits focus on code quality and tooling, but the real risk lies in invisible processes, fragile teams, and product chaos, which is why madewithlove audits the full stack of your organisation, from code to culture.

What would it cost to rebuild this software from scratch?

Evaluating the cost of rebuilding software from scratch involves more than counting development hours; it requires recognising the invisible value of user feedback, lessons learned, and embedded experience.

Making progress without a technical leader

Startups without a technical co-founder can still build great products, but only if they avoid the usual traps of overengineering, needless infrastructure, and late developer involvement.

AI writes bad code, but what if that’s the good news?

Should engineers fear messy AI code or embrace it as a tool for fast product validation? This story reveals why your cleanest code might not be your most valuable contribution. Why founders will use AI generated code more and more for MVPs and prototyping and why engineers should embrace this.

Pricing strategies in the era of AI: why hourly billing no longer works

AI tools are changing how agencies work and how they should bill. Fewer hours, faster results, and ballooning token costs are reshaping agency economics. We dive into what comes next, and why value pricing might be the way forward.

Due diligence for AI startups: what actually matters

Founders and investors due diligence: how to dig beneath the “AI-powered” facade and verify that their systems won’t break in secret.

The enshittification of the internet: are you building value or friction?

AI agents shouldn’t become CAPTCHA solvers: discover how monetisation-driven UX patterns have turned the web into a hostile environment and what honest design can do to reverse the trend.

5 red flags for VCs when planning to invest in Seed or Series A companies

Discover the five most common technical-due-diligence red flags—from undersized or misaligned teams to “just-about-working” codebases—that VCs must spot before writing a cheque.

Why front-end rewrites are more common than refactors

Why do engineering teams keep rewriting frontends? Let’s explore the leadership bias and tech churn that makes refactors feel harder—yet ultimately more sustainable.

Three cursors walk into a codebase

A cautionary tale about interns, AI tools, and outsourcing delivering 80% of a project—leaving internal teams with the clean-up. Learn why shortcuts often come with hidden costs.

Another early-stage SaaS founders dilemma: buy a pre-built app or build one from scratch

Should SaaS founders buy or build their MVP? We compare pre-built apps vs custom development across cost, time, scalability, and code quality — so you can choose the right foundation for your product.

🌶️ Why Native PHP shouldn’t exist

Building desktop apps with NativePHP misuses Laravel’s core strengths, creating potential security risks and practical limitations.

Why involving engineers in product meetings saves time and money

Involving engineers in product specification meetings reduces costly iterations and accelerates feature launches for SaaS startups.

Should we really ship fast and break things?

Should startups test everything before shipping? We break down how to balance testing with product velocity—and why 100% coverage is often the wrong goal.

Vibe coding and the junior developer dilemma

AI tools are transforming how we code, but they're not replacing the experience needed to build real software. Let’s talk about what vibe coding gets right—and what it gets very wrong.

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