Hearing the Hum
Talking to engineers is an important part of a technical due diligence assessment.
Technology is paramount, but when we’re assessing a company for possible acquisition we always spend a lot of time looking at the technical personnel as well. Our assessors usually interview all the engineers and dig into experience, motivation, working styles, staff cover and so on.
Here’s a great example of one of things we’re looking for:
On a recent project, our technical personnel interviews were accompanied by the drone of heavy machinery operating in a workshop housed next door. One of the interviewees commented: “I love that sound”.
He had spent years designing and building the equipment, and now to hear it running every day brought him great satisfaction.
That’s the “x-factor” that a tech diligence assessor likes to see. Here’s an engineer who has been with the company a long time, understands the technology inside out, and is motivated by technical accomplishment.
Surrounding a great technology with engineers like that is a recipe for success.