Late-stage technology companies pursuing IPOs face a critical dilemma: how do venture capitalists, company leadership, and institutional investors assess true IPO readiness beyond financial metrics? This study examines 11 observable qualitative signals across 49 tech companies (2015–2025). The aim is to assess how governance maturity, operational sophistication, and market readiness are actually reflected in practice. These signals range from CFO changes and board expansion to venture debt utilization and regulatory compliance hires, appear as common markers of IPO preparation. A large majority of successful IPO candidates exhibited board expansion and a noticeable PR/marketing push, and many also utilised venture debt and secondary liquidity rounds immediately prior to their public listing. At the same time, these signals do not indicate a relationship with post-IPO performance, suggesting that readiness and business quality are distinct dimensions. Existing IPO literature focuses on the pricing and timing of the IPO; this study examines non-financial readiness signals prior to a company's listing