Where the value sits
A great deal of open code can already be found online. Hard to find is what surrounds private code: why a change was opened, which review bounced it, and how it got patched once it shipped.
Release notes, review threads and your issue tracker link each step across years of actual product work.
What usually qualifies
- Repositories and commit history. How a codebase grows and gets refactored.
- Pull requests. What a reviewer flags, and the thinking behind it.
- Tickets and bug reports. How problems get reproduced and closed.
- Release notes and architecture docs. Why systems are built the way they are.
The first concern: code that belongs to someone else
If you build for clients, much of that code may belong to them and may need their permission. Setting the scope covers who owns what, and client-owned code can be kept out in full. Reading your contracts is a job for your counsel. We do not offer legal advice.
The other concern is customer data that turns up in logs, chat and tickets. Names, emails and account details are replaced with placeholders in the copy.
What you can hold back
- Client projects. They stay out by default, and only you and your counsel can change that.
- Core products. Exclude whichever repo, product or period you want.
- Secrets and credentials. Nobody ever asks for or shares a password.
Where it begins
Submit the estimate form. Within minutes, a specialist from License Your Data calls to book a 15-minute call under NDA. License Your Data then builds a de-identified copy of the records you scoped, and buyers license it only once you approve a sample.
What founders ask
Does our code stop being ours?
You keep it. The repositories stay in place and in your hands, and buyers license only a de-identified copy.
Is there prep before the call?
Not much. A sense of which tools you use and since about when covers it. Exporting files is never requested.
Will anyone get access to our repos?
No. Nobody asks for logins, and your originals never leave your systems.
What does it cost?
Nothing at all. You pay no cost.
See what your engineering history could be worth.
Check my estimate