You have software that already exists. I take it over.
Inherited, stalled, half-finished, or just unowned. I figure it out fast and keep it shipping, for years, not weeks. And when it does not exist yet, I build it the same way. Here are the three shapes of working together, everything starts with one short form.
I read the system and tell you the truth
Two to five days. I go through the codebase, the infra, and the deploy path, and hand you a written map of what is actually there, what is fragile, what is fine, and what to do next.
This is the entry point when someone left, an agency walked away, or you inherited a codebase and need to know what you are actually standing on before you spend another euro on it.
You get a written risk list, a map of the architecture as it actually exists (not as it was documented), and a plan for what happens next, whether that is with me or not. If we continue into a retainer, the audit fee credits toward it.
Start with the intake formI own the system, month after month
This is the work I actually do. Fixes, changes, deploys, the question that comes in at 2am. I take a small number of these at a time because ownership does not scale, attention does not multiply.
Scope is written down before we start, an hour band and response times, not a vague promise to "help out." That is the one documented way these engagements go wrong, so we fix it in writing from day one.
Priced per engagement, after the audit, usually a monthly retainer, sometimes a lighter arrangement if the system is calm. I keep a small number of clients at a time so each one gets an owner, not a rotation.
Start with the intake formA defined build, new or existing
A concrete piece of work with a clear boundary and a clear end, building something new, or rescuing something that stalled at 70% and will not cross the line.
Scope gets fixed after I understand the codebase or the requirements. I do not fixed-price an unknown system sight unseen, because that is how estimates turn into fiction. For existing systems, this usually follows an audit.
Once the boundary is agreed, the price and timeline are fixed. No change orders, no scope creep, no surprise invoices. Most projects turn into a retainer afterwards, that part is optional, never assumed.
Start with the intake formA vibe-coded app that buckled in production?
If the prototype was built with Lovable, Bolt, Cursor, or a similar tool and it works in the demo but not with real users, that is its own specific problem. See the details on the AI-App Rescue page.
AI-App RescueWhat I don’t do
- I do not compete on being the cheapest option, if price is the deciding factor, I am not the right fit.
- I do not manage junior teams. I work directly on the system, not as a team lead for junior developers.
- I do not take projects under €2,000, below that, the scope usually does not justify the level of ownership I bring.
Not sure which one fits?
That is normal, most engagements start with an audit and move into a retainer. Fill in the short intake form: what you have, what is stuck, and your timeline. I reply the same day.