Our developer has left
Your developer has left. Your software still has to run.
A freelancer moves on, an employee resigns, a small agency stops answering. The software keeps running for now, but nobody knows how it works, and every change feels risky. We take over software in exactly that state: first we find out what is there, then we make it maintainable again.
Do this first
Secure what you can, this week
Accounts to get into your own name
- The code repository (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket or similar)
- Hosting and cloud accounts, and the billing behind them
- The domain name and DNS
- App Store and Google Play developer accounts
- Email-sending, payment and other third-party services the app uses
Things to avoid
- Letting a hosting or domain subscription lapse because the card on file was theirs
- Asking someone new to “just make a quick fix” before anyone has looked at the code
- Sharing passwords by email instead of moving them to a password manager you control
Your questions
What businesses in this position usually ask
Can someone else understand the code?
In most cases, yes. Code can be read without its author; it just takes longer when it is undocumented. The assessment tells you how long and how hard, before you commit to anything.What if there is no documentation?
Then the assessment produces the first version of it: how the system is put together, where it runs, what it depends on and how it is deployed.What if we do not have all the passwords or access?
We list exactly what is missing and help you recover it from the providers, which is usually possible when the business is the account holder. Where it is not, we say so and what the options are.How risky is our situation?
The assessment classifies the risks it finds, from “fix this week” to “monitor”, so you can see what is urgent and what is not.
How we take over
From unknown code to maintained software
Intake call
What the software does, who uses it, what you still have access to and what worries you most.Assessment
We review the code, hosting, dependencies and deployment, under an agreement and with access you grant.About the assessmentTakeover plan
Access secured, documentation written, urgent risks fixed first, in an order you agree.Ongoing support
Maintenance, monitoring and incident response under a support plan with agreed response times.About software support
Where to start
The first step is an assessment
Software assessment
You already run software and want to know what state it is in.
A written report on risks, maintainability and what it would take to support it safely.
- Price
- Fixed fee, quoted after a short intake call
- Turnaround
- Agreed before we start
- You get
- Written report + walkthrough session
Our work
Taking over a running platform
FAQ
Questions we often hear
Do we need to hand over production access straight away?
No. Access is arranged once there is an agreement in place, and only the access the assessment needs. Production access for ongoing support comes later, under the support agreement.
Can you work with our old developer if they are willing?
Yes, and it helps. Even an hour-long handover call can save days. We will prepare the questions so their time is well spent.
What if the code turns out to be in a bad state?
Then the assessment says so, with evidence, and sets out the options: stabilise and maintain, rebuild parts, or replace it. You decide with the facts in hand.