Software project rescue. Decide what to finish, repair or replace.
We assess stalled apps and software projects to establish what works, what is missing and which next step makes business sense. Start with a fixed-scope Diagnostic and written findings before choosing completion, repair, replacement or stopping.
How a rescue works
Start small. Escalate only if it earns it.
You never have to make an all-or-nothing decision. Every rescue starts with the Diagnostic, and each step is a separate, fixed-price decision that you make with the previous step's evidence in hand.
The Diagnostic
A fixed-scope, fixed-price audit of the code, the product, and the money. We read the repo, test what exists, and map claimed progress against reality.
You walk away with
A written verdict you own either way: salvage, rebuild, or stop, with the reasons, the risks, and a fixed-price quote for whatever comes next.
Salvage alongside your team
When the existing team or codebase is worth keeping, we work with it: stabilize the build, pay down the debt that blocks shipping, and put guardrails and reporting in place.
You walk away with
A reviewed stabilization plan, working release evidence and clear responsibilities for the next phase.
Full takeover
When a takeover fits, we complete the agreed product in business-controlled accounts. A replacement plan includes migration, continuity, cutover and recovery requirements.
You walk away with
An accepted release in your accounts, with agreed verification, operating instructions and measurement.
What the Diagnostic returns
Before access, we agree the systems, questions, price, exclusions and delivery date in writing. Grant named, limited access through accounts you control. Do not send production secrets through the contact form.
The written assessment records what we inspected, what remains unknown, risks and recommended priorities. Assessment does not include implementing every repair. You decide whether to fund the separately scoped next phase.
Prepare the evidence
What needs a closer look?
Select the observations that need an explanation, then compare them with the agreed scope and the working release. A count alone cannot establish the cause.
What the phases cover
Progress you can see against an agreed plan.
First phase
Diagnose
Agree the Diagnostic scope, access, exclusions and delivery date. Review the code, product gap and included operating boundaries, then receive a written verdict and scoped next step.
Next phase
Stabilize
Resolve authorized access, reproduce the build and address the agreed release blockers. Review the working evidence against the stabilization plan.
After stabilization
Ship
Work through the agreed launch or relaunch scope with a review cadence, acceptance checks and named owners. Use the released product to decide what needs to happen next.
The timing and scope depend on the current product, access and operating constraints. Agree them after the assessment rather than treating these phases as a universal schedule.
Why founders trust us with a burned hand
The terms are built for someone who has been burned.
No hostage situations
Your repo, your cloud, your keys, from day one. Walk away at any point with everything.
No blame
You will never have to defend past decisions to us. We have seen how this happens to smart founders.
No open-ended retainer
Every engagement is scoped and priced in writing before work starts. Change orders need your signature, not your surrender.
An honest verdict, even against our interest
The assessment can recommend stopping or reducing scope. You keep the findings and decide whether any further work makes business sense.
Questions before an assessment
Rescue questions, answered straight.
We can assess an existing product when you can provide the authorized source, account information and supporting material required by the scope. The review records what works, what remains unknown and what access is missing. It does not assume the old team was wrong.
No. A read-only Diagnostic can support a decision while the current engagement continues, subject to the access and review scope you authorize. The findings may support a reset, specialist help, completion, replacement or stopping.
Compare the remaining work, operating risks, available resources and business opportunity. Useful code or design can sometimes be retained, but the assessment may recommend a smaller next step or no further build. The recommendation should explain its evidence and limits.
We assess AI-built apps through the same customer journeys, data boundaries, integrations and release requirements as other products. A working interface does not establish that the complete system is ready. The review identifies which parts can be kept and what needs repair or further investigation.
The introductory call is free. The Diagnostic scope, fixed price, access and delivery date are agreed before it starts. Any proposed build has its own scope, assumptions, review cadence and quote; migration, continuity and unresolved questions remain visible when comparing it with repair or replacement.
Not ready for a call? Read the 12 signs your dev team is failing you or take the 2-minute salvageability quiz to prepare your questions. The quiz does not inspect the implementation or provide a technical verdict.
Hire TDAT to build what your business needs.
Book a 30-minute project call about the software or workflow you need. We will discuss what TDAT should take off your hands and define the scope before implementation.
Hire TDAT"We didn't hire an agency. We gained a weapon."
Dalton Locke, TDAT partner and Founder/CEO, PONO.AI