Will you just tell us to rewrite everything?

No. A rewrite is the most expensive and riskiest option, and it’s usually not needed. We recommend it only when the evidence shows the existing code can’t reasonably meet your requirements — and we show you that evidence.

The previous vendor won’t cooperate. Can you still take over?

Usually yes, as long as you have legal ownership of the code and access to the systems. If you don’t, securing that access is step one; we’ll help you list exactly what to request. See Who really owns your code?.

Do you take over AI projects too?

Yes. Common rescue cases are RAG assistants with poor accuracy and no evaluation, and agents that work in demos but fail on real data. The approach is the same: measure first, then fix what the numbers point to.

How quickly can you start?

An initial conversation is typically possible within a few business days. The audit starts as soon as we have read access to the code and infrastructure.

Service · Project rescue

Vendor disappeared? Deadline burning? Start here.

Projects rarely fail in one day. They drift: demos get vaguer, estimates keep moving, a key developer leaves, and suddenly nobody can say when it will ship. We take over troubled projects in a structured way — first making the situation visible, then stable, then predictable.

Secure access

Repos · cloud · domains · secrets

Technical audit

Code · infra · data · backlog

Findings & plan

Continue / refactor / rebuild

Stabilise

Builds · deploys · critical bugs

Deliver predictably

Milestones · demos · forecasts

01530 days

A typical first month of a takeover. The first visible result is clarity, not code.

Signs your project needs rescuing

01The release date moved three times

Each time with a new reason, and never with a plan that explains the gap.

02Demos show screens, not working flows

Clickable mock-ups months into development usually mean the hard parts aren’t done.

03Only one person understands the system

If they leave, the project stops. This is a risk, not a staffing detail.

04You can’t deploy without the vendor

No documented pipeline, no access to production, no idea what runs where.

05Bugs come back after being “fixed”

A sign of missing automated tests and fragile architecture.

06Invoices grow, visible progress doesn’t

Hours are being spent — but you can’t see on what.

Recognise more than two? Take our vendor lock-in test to see how exposed you are, and read 13 red flags your vendor is hiding problems.

What we do in the first days

1
Secure your assets
Make sure the repository, cloud subscriptions, domains, app-store accounts and third-party services are owned by your company, and rotate credentials the previous team had. This protects you whatever happens next.
2
Get it running
Build the code from scratch on a clean machine and deploy it to a fresh environment. Whatever fails here is the first list of undocumented knowledge.
3
Audit, with evidence
Architecture, code quality, tests, security, dependencies, infrastructure, data model and the backlog — each finding with a severity and an estimate.
4
Reconcile promises with reality
We compare what was agreed, what was paid for and what actually exists, so decisions are based on facts rather than status reports.

Continue, refactor or rebuild?

A full rewrite is the most expensive option and the one most often recommended too early.
Situation	Usually the right call
Sound architecture, missing features and tests	Continue: add tests around critical flows, then finish the backlog
Working product, fragile core in a few places	Refactor the problem modules behind stable interfaces while shipping
Wrong technology for the requirements, or unmaintainable everywhere	Rebuild — incrementally where possible, reusing data models and designs
Unclear requirements are the real problem	Pause and re-scope before any more code is written

After the rescue: making it boring again

Once stable, the project runs like any Nythrex engagement: milestones with demos of working software, change requests with cost and schedule impact before approval, risks surfaced early, and everything visible in the Client Portal. The goal is simple — you should never again be surprised by your own project.

What “stable” means at the end of a rescue

0/5

Frequently asked questions

Guide13 red flags your vendor is hiding problemsVague reports, shifting dates, no access to code: 13 signs your outsourced project is in trouble — and what to ask or do about each this week.Free toolVendor lock-in testTwelve questions about code, cloud, access, contracts and docs reveal how locked in you are to your development vendor — with a prioritised fix list.GuideSwitching vendors without a rewriteHow to change development vendors safely: secure assets, plan the handover, transfer knowledge and keep shipping — with a complete handover checklist.GuideWho really owns your code?Paying for software doesn’t make it yours. The clauses that decide code ownership: IP assignment, background IP, open source, AI assets, exit terms.Example projectRescuing a stalled marketplaceIllustrative rescue: a marketplace nine months late, code in the vendor’s account, no tests. How we’d secure assets, audit, decide and ship.ServiceLegacy modernizationModernise legacy systems step by step: strangler-fig migration, characterisation tests, cloud and data migration — while the business keeps running.

Want a second opinion on your project?

Tell us what you’re building and where you’re stuck. We’ll reply within one business day with the most practical next step — even if that step isn’t us.

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