Software and growth systems for small teams
Existing web application takeover and development
You already have an application, but shipping the next change feels risky. The original developer has moved on, documentation is incomplete or a promising prototype never reached production. I review what exists, identify the shortest safe route to a useful release and continue development where the code supports it.
An agreed first improvement milestone starts from £1,200. Further work is scoped separately after reviewing the existing application.
What the finished solution should accomplish
Get a clear recovery plan for an existing web application, then finish, repair or extend the parts that support your next business milestone.
What this could look like in practice
A founder may have a working interface while account permissions, billing and deployment remain incomplete. The first job is to establish what really works using a repeatable staging environment. Only then can the remaining scope be priced sensibly. A polished demo is evidence of interface work, not evidence that the product is launch-ready.
Decisions to make before building
Before making changes, inventory repository access, hosting, database backups, dependencies and third-party accounts. Reproduce the build and exercise the core user journey. Classify findings as launch blockers, operational risks or later improvements. Preserve working behaviour and customer data rather than treating a new developer as a reason to rewrite everything.
When a simpler option is enough
If the original developer can resolve a clearly documented issue, a small handover engagement may be sufficient. A full rebuild is justified only when the existing architecture or ownership prevents the required work. The review should make that tradeoff visible, including the cost of migration and disruption.
An initial scope could include
- Code and infrastructure review
- Prioritised release plan and scoped implementation
- Staging proof, deployment notes and handover
How we would check the work
- Reproduce the build from documented instructions
- Exercise the core journey and permissions in staging
- Rehearse backup and rollback before a risky release
Can you quote before seeing the code?
I can discuss budget and goals, but a reliable completion quote needs access to the application and its dependencies. An initial review is scoped separately so you can decide whether to continue before committing to a larger build.
Scope, ownership and working together
You work directly with Joel from discovery through implementation. We agree the outcome, exclusions and acceptance checks before a build. You receive access to the code, deployment and handover documentation. Hosting, third-party services and ongoing support are identified separately; owning the code does not make operating costs disappear.
An agreed first improvement milestone starts from £1,200. Further work is scoped separately after reviewing the existing application. Permissions, migration, source-system access and the number of workflows affect scope. Hosting, maintenance and further milestones are agreed separately. Smaller extensions to existing infrastructure can receive a smaller quote.
Related next steps
Have a problem worth solving?
Tell me what you want to change, what is blocking it and the budget you have in mind. We can establish fit and agree the next step by email.
Send a project brief