Blog
What we've learned building, securing and shipping software.
· 12 min read
A prioritised security checklist for early-stage SaaS teams: auth, access control, secrets, dependencies, headers, logging, backups and pen testing.
· 11 min read
A practical guide to adding LLM features to a live product: choosing a use case, RAG vs fine-tuning, evaluation, guardrails, cost, latency and monitoring.
· 10 min read
What prompt injection is, why prompts alone can't fix it, realistic attacks on RAG and agent systems, and a defence-in-depth checklist for engineers.
· 10 min read
A technical due diligence checklist covering architecture, code quality, security, infrastructure cost, team risk, IP and technical debt, plus red flags.
· 8 min read
A practical guide to hiring software developers — what to look for, red flags to avoid, questions to ask, and how to choose between freelancers, agencies, and in-house hires.
· 9 min read
How to build an MVP that actually validates your idea — covering common mistakes, tech stack choices, realistic timelines, cost ranges, and when to hire a developer vs. build it yourself.
· 9 min read
A practical comparison of React and Next.js — covering SSR vs SPA tradeoffs, performance, deployment complexity, and real project examples to help you choose the right tool.
· 10 min read
Why your Shopify store is slow and how to fix it — covering theme bloat, app overhead, image optimization, Liquid rendering, and Core Web Vitals improvements with real metrics.
· 10 min read
A clear explanation of what a fractional CTO is, what they do day-to-day, when your company needs one, cost expectations, and how the model works in practice.
· 5 min read
A decision framework for founders and CTOs choosing between off-the-shelf SaaS tools and custom-built software. Real costs, trade-offs, and when each option wins.
· 5 min read
A practical guide to fractional CTO services: what they do, when to hire one, what it costs, and how to tell if your startup is ready for technical leadership.
· 5 min read
Honest pricing breakdown for custom software projects: what drives costs, typical ranges for MVPs, web apps, and Shopify builds, and how to avoid getting overcharged.
· 5 min read
A technical breakdown of how Astro's island architecture, content collections, and build pipeline make it the right default for most production web projects.
· 6 min read
A detailed walkthrough of how Ten Peaks Tech takes a project from initial brief to production deployment — including how we handle scope, architecture decisions, code review, and handoff.
