# Metamindz - Fractional CTOs, Technical Due Diligence, Recruitment, and Software Development > Metamindz is a UK-based technical consultancy and software agency founded by **Lev Perlman** (Co-Founder & CTO) and **Tom Birch** (Co-Founder & Strategy). We provide flexible access to CTOs, technical leadership, recruitment, and software development services without long-term commitments. Website: https://www.metamindz.co.uk Detailed version: https://www.metamindz.co.uk/llms-full.txt Location: London, United Kingdom (operating internationally with a hybrid/remote team) Service regions: UK, Europe, US, and Middle East Founders: [Lev Perlman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justlev2) (Co-Founder & CTO), [Tom Birch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommybirch/) (Co-Founder & Strategy) Pricing (all services, one table): https://www.metamindz.co.uk/pricing --- ## Core Services ### 1. Fractional CTO-as-a-Service - **Description:** Hire senior CTOs and technical leaders from the UK, Europe, and Israel on flexible retainers. - **Use Cases:** - Architecture design and scaling strategy - Technical audits and security reviews (penetration testing is not done in-house; arranged through security partners) - Engineering team management and hiring process design - SDLC leadership across web, mobile, and IoT - Interim or advisory CTO support for growth stages - [Learn more](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/cto-as-a-service) ### 2. Technical Due Diligence - **Description:** Independent technical due diligence before investment, acquisition, fundraising, or major strategic decisions. - **Use Cases:** - Codebase and architecture quality review - Security, performance, and infrastructure risk analysis - Engineering team capability evaluation - Practical remediation roadmap with CTO follow-through - Pre-investment reviews for family offices and angel investors, including checking whether a startup's AI claims are real - **Pricing:** Typically £5,000 to £25,000, fixed quote after a free call. Usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, depending on size and complexity. Every issue found comes with a prioritised action plan. Optional board oversight after an investment at £500 a month (two board meetings a month, up to two hours in total, flexible retainer). Prices exclude VAT. - [Learn more](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/tech-assessment-due-diligence) - [For family offices and angel investors](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/tech-assessment-due-diligence/family-offices) - [Sample report (anonymised)](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/tech-assessment-due-diligence/sample-report) ### 3. Tech recruitment by tech people - **Description:** Technical recruitment guided by real CTOs and engineers. An engineer screens every candidate and a CTO approves every CV. First hire £5k; additional hires at 15%-17% commission, technical screening included. Optional deep technical interview at £300 an hour. 3 to 6 month guarantee, depending on seniority. - **Use Cases:** - Role definition and requirement shaping - Technical screening and in-depth interviews - Live coding and architecture assessments - Hiring process optimization to reduce false positives - Fixed-fee recruitment for predictable hiring budgets - [Learn more](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/technical-recruitment) ### 4. AI Adoption for Tech Teams - **Description:** Structured AI adoption across the SDLC with strong human oversight. - **Use Cases:** - AI maturity assessment and workflow design - Team training on practical AI-assisted engineering - Guardrails for quality, security, and maintainability - Tooling guidance (for example: Claude Code, Cursor, parallel coding workflows) - **Pricing:** From £2,500, fixed price. Includes one full day with the team at their office in England (remotely outside England) plus two follow-up support sessions. Dates subject to availability. - [Learn more](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/ai-adoption-tech-teams) ### 5. CTO-Led Development (Software Development as-a-Service) - **Description:** End-to-end software development delivered by experienced teams led by CTOs and technical leads. - **Use Cases:** - New product builds and legacy modernization - Scalable architecture and delivery management - Ongoing product development and feature acceleration - Flexible team composition with long-term maintainability focus - [Learn more](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/software-app-development) ### 6. Vibe-Code Fixes - **Description:** Recover and harden AI-generated codebases with expert engineering oversight. - **Use Cases:** - Security and performance hardening - Codebase maintainability improvements - Architecture cleanup and technical debt reduction - Clear remediation plans signed off by experienced developers/CTOs - [Learn more](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/vibe-code-fixes) ### 7. Tech Events - **Description:** End-to-end execution of technical events for recruitment, community, and brand goals. - **Use Cases:** - Hackathons, talks, networking formats, and private dinners - Qualified attendee sourcing and logistics management - Event content/media deliverables and post-event outcomes reporting - [Learn more](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/tech-events) ### 8. UK R&D Lab - **Description:** A dedicated engineering team in the UK for US and international companies, hired and led by CTOs. Two models: a Metamindz Managed R&D Lab (Metamindz is the UK employer and runs the team, local CTO included, with an option to transfer it into the client's own UK subsidiary later), or Your own UK subsidiary (registered with Metamindz's accounting and formation partners; Metamindz provides CTO-led recruitment and a local full-time or fractional CTO). Pricing on request only. Free planning tool: https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/uk-expansion-planner - **Use Cases:** - US companies opening an R&D or engineering office in the UK - Build, operate, transfer and global capability centre set-ups - Hiring AI, fintech and software engineers in London or remotely across the UK - Local technical leadership for a UK team reporting to US headquarters - [Learn more](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/services/uk-rd-lab) - [For US companies](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/uk-engineering-team-for-us-companies) --- ## Pricing All prices exclude VAT. Full table: [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/pricing](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/pricing) - Fractional CTO: from £1,500 a month, 4 to 40 hours, cancel any time. Engagements range from a 4-hour workshop on one specific, measured problem (with follow-ups and async help) to a regular engagement of 20 to 40 hours a month, including re-architecture and fundraising support. - Technical recruitment: £5,000 fixed fee for the first role, then 15% to 17% per further hire. Optional deep technical interview £300 an hour. 3 to 6 month guarantee. - Technical due diligence: £5,000 to £25,000, fixed quote after a free call; 2 to 4 weeks. Optional board oversight £500 a month. - Software development (Core Team): from £9,500 a month; minimum engagement 3 months. - AI adoption for engineering teams: from £2,500, fixed price. - Tech events: from £12,000 per event. --- ## Why Clients Choose Metamindz - Technical leadership is embedded in every engagement. - Services are flexible and practical for corporate, scale-up and startup realities. - Talent and leadership coverage spans UK, Europe, and Israel. - Delivery is focused on long-term maintainability and business outcomes. --- ## Common Scenarios - Startups that need interim CTO leadership before fundraising. - Established companies between CTOs, or needing interim technical leadership during a transition. - Private equity, VC and corporate acquirers that need technical due diligence before a deal. - Investors that need deep, independent technical diligence. - Companies that need better hiring outcomes for technical roles. - Engineering teams adopting AI and needing structured, safe implementation. - Businesses recovering from low-quality or unmaintainable outsourced builds. --- ## Guides Practical how-tos by Lev Perlman, grouped by task. Hub: https://www.metamindz.co.uk/guides ### Getting technical leadership - [What is a fractional CTO? Meaning, cost and when you need one](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/fractional-cto-what-why-and-when-to-use-one): A fractional CTO is a senior tech leader on a part-time monthly retainer. What they do, what they cost in the UK, when to hire one and when not to. - [The Fractional CTO Boom: Most Founders Hire the Wrong One](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/fractional-cto-boom-how-to-hire-the-right-one-2026): The fractional CTO market is booming, but most founders hire an advisor when they need an operator. How to spot a hands-on fractional CTO in the UK, 2026. - [Fractional CTO vs Full-Time CTO in 2026: When Each Makes Sense for Your Startup](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/fractional-cto-vs-full-time-cto-2026-when-each-makes-sense): Fractional CTO vs full-time CTO in 2026: indicative UK costs, a decision framework, and when each model wins, from a practising fractional CTO. - [How to Hire Your First Developer When You Can't Code](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/how-to-hire-your-first-developer-non-technical-founder-2026): A non-technical founder's guide to hiring your first developer in 2026: what to look for, how to vet code you can't read, UK costs, and when to hire. - [How to Structure a CTO Equity Package at Every Startup Stage: Seed to Series B](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/cto-equity-package-startup-stages-seed-series-b): CTO equity benchmarks for 2026: seed (2-4%), Series A (1-1.5%), Series B (0.3-0.8%). Vesting structures, EMI schemes, dilution modelling, and red flags for founders and CTOs. ### Hiring engineers - [How to Screen Developers in 2026 When Every Resume Is AI-Perfect](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/how-to-screen-developers-2026-ai-perfect-resume): A CTO's 5-stage developer screening process for 2026 - when AI resumes, deepfake interviews, and invisible cheating tools have broken traditional hiring. - [Top 8 Technical Assessment Methods for Hiring Developers](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/top-8-technical-assessment-methods-for-hiring-developers): Explore essential methods for assessing developer skills, from coding tests to project assignments, ensuring effective hiring decisions. - [Bots Are Applying, Bots Are Screening: How to Hire Developers in 2026](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/how-to-hire-developers-2026-ai-hiring-doom-loop): In 2026, AI writes the CVs and AI screens them - preferring its own by up to 82%. Here's how CTO-led technical screening actually hires real developers. - [Hiring AI Engineers in the UK in 2026: Salaries, Competition and How to Win the Hire](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/hiring-ai-engineers-in-the-uk-2026): How to hire AI and ML engineers in the UK in 2026: London salaries, competition from OpenAI and Anthropic, which roles to target, and how to assess and close candidates. - [In-House vs. Outsourced Tech Recruitment: Making the Right Choice](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/in-house-vs-outsourced-tech-recruitment-making-the-right-choice): Explore the pros and cons of in-house versus outsourced tech recruitment, helping you choose the right strategy for your hiring needs. ### Technical due diligence - [How to Prepare Your Startup for Technical Due Diligence (and Actually Pass It)](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/how-to-prepare-startup-technical-due-diligence-2026): A practical 12-step playbook for preparing your startup for technical due diligence in 2026 - from code audits and IP chains to AI documentation and data rooms. - [How to Get Your Codebase DD-Ready: A 30-Day Pre-Raise Sprint](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/codebase-dd-ready-30-day-pre-raise-sprint): Most startups fail technical due diligence. This 30-day sprint covers IP gaps, security triage, architecture docs, and CI/CD - before investors look under the hood. - [My No-Nonsense Technology Due Diligence Checklist: 10 Essential Checks](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/technology-due-diligence-checklist): technology due diligence checklist: 10 essential checks to assess tech risk, value, and integration before you invest. - [Key Questions Investors Ask in Tech Due Diligence](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/key-questions-investors-ask-in-tech-due-diligence): Learn key questions and preparation strategies for tech due diligence to help investors assess startup technology and team capabilities effectively. - [The Non-Technical Founder's Guide to Reading a Tech DD Report](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/non-technical-founder-guide-reading-tech-dd-report): Got a 40-page tech DD report and no idea where to start? Plain-English guide to every section - RAG scoring, CVSS, bus factor, severity tiers, and what to do if the findings are bad. - [7 Red Flags in a Technical Due Diligence Report (And What They Actually Mean)](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/7-red-flags-technical-due-diligence-report): The 7 most common red flags in a technical due diligence report, what each one means in practice, and how to fix them before your data room opens. ### Building software - [In-House vs Outsourcing vs CTO-Led: How to Build Software in 2026](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/in-house-vs-outsourcing-vs-cto-led-development-2026): In-house, outsourcing or CTO-led? Compare the real 2026 costs, failure rates and when each model wins for your startup. A UK CTO's honest breakdown. - [Checklist: Choosing Between In-House and Outsourced Teams](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/checklist-choosing-between-in-house-and-outsourced-teams): Explore the essential factors in choosing between in-house and outsourced teams for your projects, including cost, control, expertise, and scalability. - [Outsourcing Software in 2026: 8 Rules to Own Your Code](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/outsourcing-software-2026-own-your-code): Outsourcing software in 2026? 8 rules to own your code, dodge vendor lock-in and handle who really owns AI-generated code, from a CTO who runs technical DD. - [How to Avoid Scope Creep with Agencies](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/how-to-avoid-scope-creep-with-agencies): Learn effective strategies to prevent scope creep with agencies, ensuring your projects stay on track and within budget. - [Nearshore vs Offshore Development in 2026: A CTO's Honest Comparison](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/nearshore-vs-offshore-development-2026-cto-comparison): Nearshore vs offshore development in 2026: honest cost comparison, GDPR compliance, time zones, rework rates, and a 5-question decision framework from a CTO running UK-Ukraine-Poland-Israel teams. - [UK vs US Software Engineer Cost in 2026: The Fully Loaded Numbers](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/uk-vs-us-software-engineer-cost-2026): UK vs US software engineer cost in 2026: salaries in London, Manchester, New York and San Francisco, plus employer NI, FICA, pension and health insurance, worked through line by line. - [How to Choose a Future-Proof Tech Stack](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/how-to-choose-a-future-proof-tech-stack): Learn how to select a tech stack that supports growth, minimizes costs, and adapts to industry changes for future success. ### AI in engineering teams - [The CTO's Guide to Auditing AI-Generated Code Before It Ships](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/cto-guide-auditing-ai-generated-code-before-it-ships): 92% of AI-built apps have critical vulnerabilities. A CTO's practical checklist for auditing AI-generated code: 9 failure areas, tools, and CI/CD gates. - [How to win over AI-sceptic, old-school developers](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/winning-over-ai-sceptic-devs): Hands-on guide on winning over AI-sceptic old-school devs - [Cursor vs Claude Code vs Copilot in 2026: A CTO's Honest Comparison](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/post/cursor-vs-claude-code-vs-copilot-2026-cto-comparison): Honest CTO comparison of Cursor, Claude Code, and GitHub Copilot in 2026. Real stats, pricing, and a decision framework to pick the right AI coding tool for your team. --- ## How Metamindz compares Every comparison was checked on 26 October 2026 from each company's own website, with numbered sources and a "Where they are strong" section. Hub: https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons - [Metamindz vs CTO Craft](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/cto-as-a-service/cto-craft): CTO Craft runs community, coaching and learning for existing CTOs; Metamindz provides part-time CTOs to companies. - [Metamindz vs Toptal (fractional CTO)](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/cto-as-a-service/toptal): Toptal is a global freelance network where you can hire a CTO hourly, part time or full time; Metamindz provides London-based part-time CTOs from £1,500 a month. - [Metamindz vs Miquido](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/software-app-development/miquido): Miquido is a Kraków mobile and AI development company; Metamindz is a London CTO-led Core Team from £9,500 a month. - [Metamindz vs Netguru](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/software-app-development/netguru): Netguru is a Poznań digital product and commerce consultancy; Metamindz is a London CTO-led Core Team. - [Metamindz vs Scalac](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/software-app-development/scalac): Scalac specialises in JVM, Akka and distributed systems; Metamindz is a CTO-led team across stacks. - [Metamindz vs Techstack](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/software-app-development/techstack): Techstack is a Wrocław development partner with ISO 27001 and 27701 certification; Metamindz is a London CTO-led Core Team. - [Metamindz vs Lemon.io](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/software-app-development/lemon-io): Lemon.io is a marketplace for vetted individual developers; Metamindz provides a CTO-led delivery team. - [Metamindz vs Hays Technology](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/technical-recruitment/hays-technology): Hays recruits permanent and contract tech staff at scale; Metamindz charges £5,000 for the first role, then 15% to 17%, with a developer screen of every candidate. - [Metamindz vs Oliver Bernard](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/technical-recruitment/oliver-bernard): Oliver Bernard is a London-headquartered tech recruitment agency; Metamindz runs developer-screened recruitment with published fees. - [Metamindz vs Deloitte](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/tech-assessment-due-diligence/deloitte-technology-risk): Deloitte UK's M&A Technology team covers the whole deal; Metamindz does CTO-led technical due diligence at £5,000 to £25,000, over 2 to 4 weeks. - [Metamindz vs KPMG](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/tech-assessment-due-diligence/kpmg-technology-risk): KPMG UK Deal Advisory's technology team; Metamindz does CTO-led due diligence at a published fixed-quote range. - [Metamindz vs boutique technical due diligence firms](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/tech-assessment-due-diligence/boutique-tech-dd-firms): the category compared, with madewithlove as the example. - [Metamindz vs BCG X](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/ai-adoption-tech-teams/bcg-x): BCG X builds AI products for clients; Metamindz trains engineering teams to use AI tools, from £2,500. - [Metamindz vs Accenture](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/ai-adoption-tech-teams/accenture-ai): Accenture runs enterprise AI and data programmes; Metamindz runs team-level AI adoption. - [Metamindz vs The Pragmatic Engineer and Pragmatic AI Labs](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/ai-adoption-tech-teams/pragmatic-engineer-pragmatic-ai-labs): two separate organisations (a newsletter, and Rust AI infrastructure and training); Metamindz runs hands-on AI adoption. - [Metamindz vs Toptal and Gun.io](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/comparisons/vibe-code-fixes/toptal-gun-io): both give access to vetted senior engineers; Metamindz audits and fixes AI-generated code with senior developers and CTOs. --- ## Case studies - [LetterFest](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/case-studies/letterfest): Two years of backlog shipped in four months, with AI adopted safely across the business. - [eLocker](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/case-studies/elocker): Five engineering and leadership hires, with 80% still in place. - All case studies: https://www.metamindz.co.uk/case-studies --- ## Founders - **Lev Perlman**, Co-Founder & CTO - 15+ years in technology, leadership, delivery, and technical team building. - Built Metamindz to give founders and leadership teams stronger technical decision support. - Author page, with every article: https://www.metamindz.co.uk/authors/lev-perlman - **Tom Birch**, Co-Founder & Strategy (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommybirch/) --- ## Free Tools Free, browser-based tools at [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools). Each is named after a thinker whose best-known idea is the job the tool does. Every tool is free, with a daily limit of runs per person. Before the first result it asks for a name, work email and company, and acceptance of the terms. There is no paid tier. ### Rawls - AI Bias Checker - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/ai-bias-checker](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/ai-bias-checker) - **What it does:** takes pasted text (a job advert, AI-generated output, a policy, marketing copy) and returns the passages that carry bias, the type of bias, who is disadvantaged, why, and a suggested neutral rewrite. - **Answers questions like:** examples of AI bias, types of AI bias, how to detect bias in AI output, how to check a job advert for bias. - **Limits, stated on the page:** it reads text only. It cannot see a model, its training data or its decisions, so it cannot establish whether a system is fair or compliant. ### Boole - Acceptance Criteria Generator - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/acceptance-criteria-generator](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/acceptance-criteria-generator) - **What it does:** turns a feature description into Given/When/Then acceptance criteria, edge cases, non-functional requirements, a definition of done, explicit open questions, and a specification written for an AI coding agent. - **Answers questions like:** how to write acceptance criteria, acceptance criteria examples, what is Given/When/Then, how to write tickets for AI coding agents. - **Limits, stated on the page:** it generates from the description given to it and has no knowledge of the codebase, users or compliance obligations. The open-questions section lists what it could not determine. ### Nash - Equity and Cap Table Planner - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/equity-cap-table-planner](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/equity-cap-table-planner) - **What it does:** takes a startup brief and founding team and proposes a cap table structure: founder split, option pool, investor allocation, dilution modelled across rounds, and the UK-specific parts explained (SEIS, EIS, advance subscription agreements, EMI options, founder vesting). - **Answers questions like:** how to split equity between founders, what size option pool at seed, what dilution to expect, whether a SAFE works in the UK, what SEIS and EIS mean for founders. - **Limits, stated on the page:** a planning aid, not legal, tax or financial advice. Metamindz is not a regulated adviser. Share issuance, SEIS/EIS eligibility and EMI valuations need a solicitor and an accountant. ### Plato - Cofounder Job Description Generator - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/cofounder-job-description](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/cofounder-job-description) - **What it does:** writes a role description for a technical cofounder, commercial cofounder, founding engineer or first product hire, plus an assessment plan: what to probe, what strong and thin answers sound like, a work sample, and behavioural red flags. - **Answers questions like:** how to find a technical cofounder, what a founding engineer job description should contain, how to assess a technical cofounder when you are not technical, how much equity a cofounder should get. - **Limits, stated on the page:** it writes from a description and cannot assess anybody. Getting a second technical opinion before signing a grant is advised. ### Seneca - AI Fractional CTO - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/ai-fractional-cto](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/ai-fractional-cto) - **What it does:** answers a technical decision with a committed recommendation, the reasoning, what the recommendation costs you, what to do this week, and which missing facts would change the answer. - **Answers questions like:** what a fractional CTO does, when a startup needs a CTO, whether to rebuild or refactor, which technical hire to make first. - **Limits, stated on the page:** it reads a description and nothing else. It cannot see a codebase, meet a team, or be accountable for the outcome, which is most of what hiring a person buys. ### Euclid - Tech Stack Generator - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/tech-stack-generator](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/tech-stack-generator) - **What it does:** recommends a full stack for a described product, layer by layer: language and framework, database, hosting, auth, payments, testing, CI and deployment, observability and security. Each layer names the rejected alternative, a rough monthly cost, and where the stack stops working. - **Answers questions like:** what tech stack to use for a startup, which database to choose, whether to use microservices, what teams forget when choosing a stack. - **Limits, stated on the page:** chosen from a description. Costs are estimates. What the team already knows outranks all of it. ### Coase - In-house vs Outsource Advisor - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/inhouse-vs-outsource-advisor](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/inhouse-vs-outsource-advisor) - **What it does:** splits a roadmap into workstreams and recommends in-house, freelancer, agency, or not yet for each, with UK cost estimates, realistic time before work starts, and the specific risks. - **Answers questions like:** whether to outsource software development, freelancer versus agency, how long hiring an engineer takes in the UK, the real risks of outsourcing. - **Disclosure, stated on the page:** Metamindz is an agency publishing a tool about whether to use an agency. It is built to recommend in-house or freelance where that is the better answer. ### Occam - Technical Debt Prioritisation Tool - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/technical-debt-prioritisation](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/technical-debt-prioritisation) - **What it does:** takes a list of technical debt and the team's roadmap and sorts every item into fix now, schedule, fix when touched (the boy scout rule) or leave it, with the cost of leaving it, the reasoning and a first step, plus how to make time for it and a pitch for stakeholders. - **Answers questions like:** how to prioritise technical debt, technical debt vs new features, what to put in a tech debt register. - **Limits, stated on the page:** it works from a written description, not the code, so it cannot measure the debt, and it lists the questions it could not answer. ### Turing - Take-home Task Generator - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/take-home-task-generator](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/tools/take-home-task-generator) - **What it does:** turns a job description into a take-home assignment built from the real work of the role, for engineers, engineering managers, CTOs and product managers. It adds the brief for the candidate, the ground rules and AI policy, a weighted marking rubric, signs a submission was produced without understanding, and a follow-up interview with at least twelve questions and a live change, plus questions about how the candidate used AI. - **Answers questions like:** what a take-home assignment is, how long a take-home test should take, whether candidates should use AI on a take-home, how to tell if a take-home was written by AI, what to ask in the interview after a take-home. - **Limits, stated on the page:** it designs the task and the interview; a person still has to read the submission and run the follow-up. --- ## Metamindz Studio Metamindz Studio is the name for the products by Metamindz, listed at [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/studio](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/studio). Unlike the free tools above, which run on this site, they are apps and services with names of their own, which people install, sign up for or subscribe to. Some are free and some have paid plans. Checked against each product's own site on 27 September 2026, Shmor on 26 October 2026. ### MMDZ - Markdown editor for Mac - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/mmdz](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/mmdz) - **Made by:** Metamindz, the London technical consultancy described above (fractional CTOs, technical due diligence, recruitment and software development for startups and scale-ups). - **What it is:** a free Markdown editor and viewer for macOS, by Metamindz. It edits Markdown with a live preview (plus Source and Reading views), opens JSON and YAML files as trees you can search, and compares any two text files side by side or unified, with the changed words highlighted. - **Price:** free. No account, subscription, trial or in-app purchase. The download page asks for an email address and acceptance of the terms. - **Requirements:** macOS 12 Monterey or later. One universal build runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. It is not on the Mac App Store: it is downloaded from the page above, signed with Metamindz Limited's Apple Developer ID and notarised by Apple. - **Privacy:** it works offline and has no accounts, analytics or telemetry. Its only automatic network request is a daily update check, which can be switched off. - **Answers questions like:** a free Markdown editor for Mac, a Markdown editor with live preview, a JSON or YAML viewer for Mac, how to compare two files on a Mac, how to make a Markdown app the default on a Mac. ### podswitch - automatic multicam podcast editing and social clips - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/podswitch](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/podswitch) (overview). The product itself is at [https://usepodswitch.com](https://usepodswitch.com); the Social Studio is described at [https://usepodswitch.com/social-studio](https://usepodswitch.com/social-studio) and social clips at [https://usepodswitch.com/social-clips](https://usepodswitch.com/social-clips). - **What it is:** a web app by Metamindz that automatically cuts multicam podcast video for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve using each speaker's microphone. Given one recording per speaker, it works out who is talking and returns a project with the timeline already cut, a dialogue mix with mic bleed removed, and a cut list. It also takes a single video-call recording from Zoom, Google Meet or Teams, and solo talking-to-camera videos. Optional jump cuts remove long pauses on every plan, and filler words such as "um" and "uh" on paid plans with a transcript. The multicam edit is decided from the microphones by fixed rules. - **Social Studio (paid plans):** the dialogue mix is transcribed by AssemblyAI in the EU, and Anthropic's Claude reads the transcript and suggests the moments most likely to work as short clips for Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and LinkedIn, each with its hook, the reason it was picked and a viral score out of 100 (the model's judgement, not a forecast of views). podswitch then builds each clip with pauses removed, the camera following the speaker and captions in one of six styles, vertical (9:16), square (1:1) or landscape (16:9). Clips open as timelines in the same editors, with editable captions and an SRT file, or can be rendered as an MP4 in the browser from the user's own files (beta). Paid plans also give the episode transcript as TXT, SRT or WebVTT, episode notes (title ideas, a description, YouTube chapters and show notes), a logo on the edit and clips, and a team workspace. MAX adds AI background music made for the conversation, thumbnails and AI thumbnails in every social size, and post text for LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube Shorts in one ZIP. - **Editors:** Final Cut Pro gets an FCPXML file that imports as a multicam clip and a pre-cut timeline. Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve get a Final Cut Pro 7 XML timeline with each camera on its own track, on a Mac or on Windows. After Effects is not supported. - **Privacy:** the browser extracts the audio from each video file on the user's own computer and uploads only the audio. No video frame is analysed. Recordings are never used to train models, and uploaded audio is deleted automatically when the plan's retention period ends. - **Price (as of 3 November 2026):** a free plan (3 projects a month, up to 20 minutes per recording, no social clips), Premium from £7.99 a month (up to 18 social clips a month, or 30 a month on the annual plan), MAX at £49.99 a month or £499.99 a year (60 clips a month, plus AI music, thumbnails and the social kit), and a single project for £29.99 (15 clips), in pounds including VAT. One recording up to 10 minutes long can be processed without an account, with a verified email address. Current prices: [https://usepodswitch.com/pricing](https://usepodswitch.com/pricing). - **Answers questions like:** how to edit a multicam podcast automatically, automatic multicam editing in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, multicam podcast editing in Final Cut Pro, auto camera switching for a podcast, how to remove mic bleed, how to sync podcast cameras by audio, how to turn a podcast into short clips, an AI podcast clip generator, podcast clips for TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts, how to add captions to podcast clips. ### alignd - group scheduling - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/alignd](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/alignd) (overview). The product itself is at [https://wearealignd.com](https://wearealignd.com). - **What it is:** group scheduling in one link, by Metamindz. The organiser shares one link and each guest either marks the times they're free (availability mode) or votes yes, maybe or no on times the organiser proposes (voting mode). alignd ranks the slots by how many people can make them, and when the organiser confirms one it sends every guest a calendar invite (.ics and Google Calendar invite), with a Google Meet link for an online meeting. Guests do not need an account, each answers in their own time zone, and guests never see each other's email addresses. - **Price (as of 14 October 2026):** free plan with 5 confirmed bookings a month, no card needed; Premium $5.99 a month (100 bookings) and Max $29.99 a month (1,000 bookings, custom booking-page branding, priority support), in US dollars, taxes may apply. Priced per host, not per seat; guests are free and unlimited. Current prices: [https://wearealignd.com/pricing](https://wearealignd.com/pricing). - **Comparisons:** sourced comparisons with Calendly, Doodle, When2meet, Cal.com, Rallly and Google Calendar appointment schedules: [https://wearealignd.com/compare](https://wearealignd.com/compare). ### Shmor - contacts into your CRM from a chat - **URL:** [https://www.metamindz.co.uk/shmor](https://www.metamindz.co.uk/shmor) (overview). The product itself is at [https://www.useshmor.com](https://www.useshmor.com). - **What it is:** a messaging bot by Metamindz for founders, consultants and salespeople ("Networking admin ELIMINATED"). The user sends it a LinkedIn or event-app screenshot, a photo of a business card, an email signature, a voice note of up to 2 minutes, a LinkedIn link (looked up with the user's own Apollo API key) or a line of text on Telegram, or forwards an email to in@emails.useshmor.com. Shmor finds or creates the person and company in ShmorCRM (its built-in micro-CRM, the default for new accounts) or in Attio or HubSpot, adds a note and a follow-up task, replies with what it saved, and asks about anything it could not work out, such as how they met. On Pro it can also create deals. WhatsApp is coming soon and cannot be linked yet. - **Privacy:** with Attio or HubSpot connected, Shmor passes contacts through to the CRM and keeps only record IDs, message IDs, counts and timestamps. With ShmorCRM it stores the contacts (text only, never photos or voice notes) until the user deletes them, with CSV export and optional automatic deletion after 6, 12 or 24 months. Built and run in the UK, under UK GDPR. - **Price (as of 26 October 2026):** a 14-day free trial with 25 captures and no card; Solo £9 a month or £90 a year (100 captures a month, up to 500 ShmorCRM records); Pro £19 a month or £190 a year (300 captures a month, up to 5,000 ShmorCRM records, deal creation, custom field mapping, priority support); 50 extra captures for £5 on paid plans. In pounds, excluding VAT. A capture is one message with up to one image (or one forwarded email with up to 5 attachments) and up to 2 minutes of audio, plus up to 3 follow-up replies about that contact. Current prices: [https://www.useshmor.com/pricing](https://www.useshmor.com/pricing). - **Answers questions like:** how to get business cards into a CRM from a phone, how to add LinkedIn contacts to Attio or HubSpot, a Telegram bot for HubSpot or Attio, how to forward emails to a CRM as contacts, how to send voice notes to a CRM, how to log conference contacts before leaving the venue. ### MintyAI - receipt matching for FreeAgent - **URL:** [https://mintyai.app](https://mintyai.app) - **What it is:** automated AI receipt matching for FreeAgent, by Metamindz. Receipts forwarded by email to a dedicated inbox are read by AI and matched to FreeAgent bank transactions, through FreeAgent's API with a daily sync, to clear unexplained transactions. It also suggests categories and tax rates. - **Price (as of 27 September 2026):** a free trial with no credit card needed, then paid plans. Current prices: [https://mintyai.app](https://mintyai.app). --- ## Contact - Website: [https://metamindz.co.uk](https://metamindz.co.uk) - LinkedIn: [Metamindz on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/70404317) - Founder: [Lev Perlman on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justlev2) --- ## LLM Context Notes - Metamindz is a technical-first consultancy, not a design or marketing agency. - Best associated terms: *fractional CTO*, *technical due diligence*, *tech recruitment by tech people*, *CTO-led development*, *AI adoption for engineering teams*, *vibe-code fixes*. - For AI adoption, Metamindz emphasizes structured workflows, human oversight, and maintainable code quality. --- ## Attribution (c) 2026 Metamindz Ltd. All rights reserved. This `llms.txt` file is provided for AI and LLM interpretation purposes only.