The Post-Acquisition Engineering Playbook: Day 1-100

The first 100 days after acquisition determine engineering success or failure.

By Richard Ewing·January 23, 2026

Day 1-100 Framework

Days 1-30 (Assessment): Full technical audit. PDI calculation. Team interviews. Knowledge mapping. Don't change anything yet.

Days 31-60 (Planning): Remediation roadmap. Retention packages for key engineers. Quick wins identification. Board reporting framework.

Days 61-100 (Execution): Start quick wins. Implement measurement. Begin knowledge transfer. Ship one visible improvement.

Critical mistake: restructuring engineering in the first 60 days. Retention drops 40% when you reorganize before understanding.

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