Andy Laken • Production Readiness Assessment
A senior technical review of your app, through a cofounder's eyes. We talk about your business before I look at any code. Then I pressure-test the app, weigh what I find against your priorities, and tell you whether it's ready. If it isn't, I lay out a prioritized plan to get there.
Signs your app needs a closer look
You’ll understand which problems matter to your business and what can wait. The app may need a few fixes, substantial rework, or no changes for its current use. I’ll explain the likely implications for time, cost, and outside help. You’ll know where to put your time and money, and why.
Whether to fix or rebuild depends on the app and the business. These two assessments of founder-built apps show why.
The code suggested user data was protected, but the live app was still exposing it. I found database access rules to change – a simple fix. Given the scale and stakes, the remaining findings didn’t justify a rebuild. They could keep using the app with confidence after a small fix.
The founder had built screens and workflows around his vision for how the firm should work. But four competing approaches to saving and retrieving data caused recurring failures, and private employee information was exposed to unauthorized access. Individual fixes wouldn’t resolve the structural problems. I recommended rebuilding the foundation so the firm could depend on the workflows it already valued.
A plain-English assessment of where the app stands, what matters most, and what I recommend.
Specific findings, supporting evidence, and recommended fixes that a developer can work from.
We talk through the recommendations, weigh the tradeoffs against your priorities, and discuss your questions.
I check who can sign in, what they can see or change, and whether private data or credentials are exposed. I also look for vulnerable dependencies.
I check whether the app saves, retrieves, and displays data correctly, and whether its key workflows do what you expect.
I check how the app handles errors, background work, and multiple users. I review deployment, monitoring, and backup arrangements for gaps that could interrupt operations or lose data.
I look at how the code and database are organized, how changes are tested, and whether fixing a problem or adding a feature is likely to break something else.
I check the running app as well as the code, including the live database and deployment setup. What matters is how the app actually behaves when your business depends on it.
Tell me about your business, the app, and what worries you. We’ll work out whether this assessment fits and agree on scope and price before you commit.
Book a free intro callWe arrange access to the code, app, database, and hosting. I’ll explain what I need and how to share it securely.
I review the app, check key behavior, and investigate the findings that matter. Then I prepare your briefing, technical findings, and prioritized recommendations.
We spend an hour on the findings and what they mean for your business. You can question the recommendations and talk through your options before deciding what to do.
You can take the findings and plan to your developer. If you’d like my help making the changes, we can discuss that as a separate engagement.
Only if the app’s condition and your business needs warrant it. I may recommend focused fixes or tell you the app is ready for its current use. Anything worth keeping is part of the recommendation.
No. You’re buying a review and advice on what to do next. Making the changes is a separate engagement, with me or a developer you choose.
No. I assess security as part of the app’s readiness for your business. This doesn’t replace a formal penetration test, compliance audit or certification, or legal advice.
Usually the code, running app, database, and hosting setup. We agree on secure access after the intro call; please don’t send credentials or sensitive data through the booking form. I give up all access when the assessment is complete. If I can’t inspect something important, I’ll make that limitation clear in the findings.
Yes. The technical findings include evidence, priorities, and recommended changes so a developer can understand the work without needing to attend the readout.
The assessment works with apps built using different tools, including a mix of AI-built and human-written code. Tell me what you know; we’ll confirm that I can cover your app on the intro call.
That’s a good reason to book the free intro call. Tell me about your app and what’s on your mind. We’ll talk through whether an assessment would help, with no obligation to go ahead.
Tell me about your business and your app, and what has you worried.
Book a free intro call