Is your software project stuck? I ship it to production.
For founders and SMBs who've invested time and money in a project that never starts. Or that started and stopped.
2-4 weeks · Defined scope · Hands-on
Recognize your project in any of these?
- More than 6 months have passed with no visible progress on the product.
- The dev (internal or external) doesn't reply to scope or timeline questions.
- Every new feature breaks something else.
- The stack was chosen in haste and now it weighs.
- You keep hearing "it's almost done" for months.
- You don't know who's making technical decisions, but you know someone has to.
They don't stick for one reason. They stick because they accumulate.
A stack decision taken on the fly. A senior dev leaving. Specs evolving without being documented. Technical debt growing silently. Add 4-5 months and the project seems impossible to finish.
Agencies don't solve these blocks: they have a milestone-delivery model, not continuous problem-solving. Single freelancers often lack the seniority to take over a project in trouble — they can write code, not renegotiate priorities.
Five steps. No magic, no improvisation.
Discovery (3-5 days)
Code access, call with current devs and stakeholders, quick audit of the real state of the project.
Written diagnosis
What's recoverable, what needs rewriting, what to eliminate. Reasoned decisions, not opinions.
Intervention plan
2-4 weeks milestones with measurable acceptance criteria. Before writing code.
Execution
I write code directly or lead your devs. Technical decisions I make and answer for them.
Stabilization
Operational handover to an internal or external dev, documentation. You're not left in a dependency.
Situations where I unblock projects most often.
MVP started 6 months ago, never shipped
Scope reduction to minimum viable, focus on core features, push to go-live in 2-3 weeks.
Stuck legacy migration
Diagnosis of the current situation, strategy decision (big bang vs incremental), push on a concrete direction.
Refactor of main codebase
Clear scope, defined goals, no over-engineering. Verifiable result at every step.
Critical production performance
Diagnosis (profiling, real metrics), targeted interventions with before/after measurement.
Three clear boundaries.
- I don't build products from scratch (that's a separate MVP development).
- I don't manage routine bugs (you need junior devs or an ops team, not a CTO).
- I don't permanently replace your team (that's what fractional CTO is for).
What you ask most often.
What if the existing code is a disaster?
I say so in the diagnosis. Sometimes the most sensible thing is to rewrite a module, not fix it. I explain why and how much both options cost — you decide.
Can I keep working with my current dev?
Yes, often that's exactly what happens. I enter as the technical reference, the current dev keeps writing code under my guidance. If the current dev is the problem, we address it together in the diagnosis.
What happens after the rescue?
Three options: (1) you take the reins with the product in production, (2) we move to a fractional CTO retainer if you want ongoing reference, (3) we close after handover. Your choice.
How long does a rescue typically last?
2 to 4 weeks of execution, after 3-5 days of discovery. If more time is needed, we're talking partial rebuild, not rescue — and we renegotiate scope/budget at the start, not mid-way.
How much does it cost?
I'll tell you in the first free call, after understanding the situation. Fixed price for defined scope, no open quotes.
Before you rebuild from scratch, read these.
Let's unblock your project.
First a free 30-minute call to understand the situation. Then written diagnosis and a plan in a few days.
Reply within 24 hours · Italy & remote