MVP Developer Disappeared After Launch? Here's What to Do Next

You launched your MVP. You have users. You have bugs. You have questions.

You reach out to your developer.

No response.

You try again. Silence.

One week later, you accept the truth: They're gone.

Welcome to the club nobody wants to join. According to market research, 64% of founders worry about this exact scenario. You're not alone, and this is fixable.

Let me walk you through exactly what to do.

First 48 Hours: Damage Control

Hour 1-4: Assess the Situation

Before you panic, figure out exactly what you're dealing with.

Immediate questions:

1. Do you have the code?

   • Check GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
   • Check email for .zip file
   • Check cloud storage they might have used

2. Do you have access to hosting?

   • Vercel dashboard
   • Railway/Render/Heroku
   • AWS/DigitalOcean
   • Domain registrar

3. Do you have the database?

   • Connection details
   • Admin access
   • Backup files

4. Do you have documentation?

   • README file
   • Setup instructions
   • API documentation
   • Environment variables list

5. Can you contact them at all?

   • Try all email addresses
   • LinkedIn message
   • Phone if you have it
   • Payment platform message (Upwork, Fiverr)

Best case: You have code, hosting access, and documentation.

Worst case: You have nothing and the app is running on their account.

Hour 4-12: Secure What You Have

If you have hosting access:

1. Take a complete backup immediately

   • Download code from hosting
   • Export database
   • Save environment variables
   • Screenshot all settings

2. Document current state

   • Which features work
   • Which features are broken
   • Error messages you're seeing
   • User complaints received

3. Monitor for failures

   • Check if app is still running
   • Verify database is accessible
   • Test critical paths (login, payments)

If you DON'T have hosting access:

This is an emergency. The app could go down any moment if:

• Their account expires
• They cancel services
• Payment fails on their card
• They actively shut it down

Immediate actions:

1. Contact the platform (Vercel, etc.)

   • Explain the situation
   • Show proof of ownership (contracts, payment receipts)
   • Ask for emergency access
   • Most platforms are surprisingly helpful in these cases

2. Prepare for worst case

   • Document all features via screenshots
   • Export any data you can access via UI
   • Record user flows on video
   • This will help rebuild if needed

Hour 12-48: Find Emergency Help

You need technical assistance. Here's who to call:

Option 1: Emergency Developer (Expensive but Fast)

Get someone who can:

• Assess what you have
• Secure access if you don't have it
• Fix critical bugs
• Set up monitoring
• Give you a situation report

Cost: $150-$300/hour for emergency work

Time: Usually available same or next day

Where to find:

• Post in dev communities (Reddit r/forhire)
• Local tech meetup groups
• Freelancer platforms with "urgent" tag
• Ask your network for referrals

What to ask for: "I need someone to audit my MVP codebase and give me a report on what I'm working with. 2-4 hours of work, paying $XXX. Available today or tomorrow."

Option 2: Technical Friend/Advisor

If you know anyone technical, now is the time to call in favors.

Even a junior developer can help you:

• Access the code
• Understand what you have
• Identify critical issues
• Point you to next steps

Option 3: Code Review Service

Some services specialize in auditing code:

• They'll review architecture
• Identify problems
• Give recommendations
• Estimate fix costs

Cost: $500-$1,500 for audit

Time: 3-5 days usually

Week 1: Understanding What You Have

Once you've secured access, you need to understand the situation.

The Code Quality Spectrum

Scenario A: Professional Code (Lucky You)

Signs:

• README with setup instructions
• Organized folder structure
• Code comments explaining complex logic
• Dependencies documented
• Environment variables listed
• Tests exist

What this means: Another developer can take over relatively easily.

Your path: Find replacement developer, expect normal pricing.

Scenario B: Messy but Workable Code

Signs:

• Code runs but is disorganized
• Some documentation missing
• No tests
• Comments are sparse
• Works but hard to understand why

What this means: Doable but will take time to understand.

Your path: Budget 20-40 hours for new developer to learn codebase before making changes.

Cost impact: Add $2,000-$4,000 to any feature work.

Scenario C: Disaster Code (Worst Case)

Signs:

• No documentation at all
• Code is copied from tutorials
• Same logic repeated everywhere
• No clear structure
• Security holes visible
• AI-generated without review

What this means: Rebuilding might be cheaper than maintaining.

Your path: Get quotes for both fixing and rebuilding. Compare.

Get a Professional Assessment

Find a developer willing to audit. Here's what you need:

Audit deliverables:

1. Code quality report

   • Can this be maintained?
   • Major problems identified
   • Security issues found
   • Performance problems

2. Recommended path

   • Fix and maintain
   • Partial rewrite
   • Complete rebuild
   • Estimated costs for each

3. Critical issues

   • What could break soon
   • What needs immediate attention
   • Security vulnerabilities
   • Data integrity problems

4. Documentation gaps

   • What's missing
   • What needs to be created
   • Estimated time to document

Cost for audit: $500-$2,000 depending on app complexity

Time: 3-7 days

This is the most important $1,500 you'll spend. It tells you if you're dealing with a $2,000 problem or a $15,000 problem.

Week 2-4: Making the Decision

Based on the audit, you have three paths:

Path A: Patch and Continue

When this makes sense:

• Code quality is decent
• Bugs are fixable
• Architecture is sound
• Just needs maintenance

What you'll need:

• Replacement developer
• 10-40 hours to onboard them
• Bug fixing budget
• Ongoing maintenance plan

Cost:

• Onboarding: $1,500-$4,000
• Immediate bug fixes: $1,000-$3,000
• Ongoing: $500-$2,000/month for maintenance

Timeline: 2-4 weeks to stabilize

Path B: Partial Rebuild

When this makes sense:

• Some parts are good
• Some parts are broken
• You can salvage the foundation
• Specific features need rewriting

What you'll need:

• Experienced developer
• Detailed migration plan
• User data migration strategy
• Gradual rollout plan

Cost:

• Partial rebuild: $5,000-$12,000
• Data migration: $1,000-$2,000
• Testing: $500-$1,500

Timeline: 4-8 weeks

Path C: Complete Rebuild

When this makes sense:

• Code is unsalvageable
• Security holes everywhere
• No documentation exists
• Performance is terrible
• Rebuild quote < fix quote

What you'll need:

• Experienced developer
• Full requirements doc
• Data migration plan
• Communication plan for users

Cost:

• Rebuild: $6,000-$18,000 (depending on features)
• Data migration: $1,500-$3,000
• Testing & QA: $1,000-$2,000

Timeline: 6-12 weeks

The rebuild decision:

Compare these numbers:

Option 1: Fix existing code

• Audit: $1,500
• Fixes: $3,000
• Onboarding: $2,000
• High risk of more problems: unknown cost
• Total: $6,500 + unknown ongoing costs

Option 2: Rebuild properly

• Audit: $1,500
• Rebuild: $8,500
• Low risk of problems: minimal ongoing cost
• Total: $10,000 + normal maintenance

If the difference is less than $5,000, rebuilding often wins because:

• You get clean, documented code
• Future features cost normal amounts
• Any developer can work with it
• No mystery bugs lurking

Preventing This From Happening Again

Once you're stabilized, here's how to never be in this situation again:

Must-Haves in Any Developer Relationship

1. Code Ownership

In the contract, explicit language: "All code written is property of [Your Company]. Developer will provide complete code access upon request."

Verify:

• You have GitHub access
• You're added as owner, not just collaborator
• You have download access to repositories

2. Hosting in Your Name

Don't let them use their accounts for:

• Domain registration
• Hosting (Vercel, Railway, etc.)
• Database hosting
• Email services
• Analytics
• Any service your business depends on

Correct setup:

• You create accounts
• You add their email as team member
• You control billing
• They have admin access to work
• You can revoke their access anytime

3. Documentation Requirements

Contract should require:

• README with setup instructions
• Environment variables documented
• API endpoints documented
• Database schema explained
• Deployment process documented

Delivery checklist:

• Code repository access
• Documentation reviewed
• Handoff call completed
• Questions answered
• You can run it locally

4. Transition Period

Never accept: "Here's the code, good luck!"

Require:

• 30-60 day support period
• Bug fixes included
• Questions answered
• Handoff to new developer assisted

This costs maybe 5% more upfront, saves thousands later.

5. Milestone Payments

Don't pay:

• 100% upfront (you have no leverage)
• 100% on delivery (they have no incentive to support)

Do pay:

• 40-50% upfront
• 30-40% at midpoint
• 20-30% on delivery PLUS successful handoff

Final payment released after:

• Code access verified
• Documentation reviewed
• Handoff call completed
• You or another developer confirms it works

Red Flags to Catch Early

These predict disappearing developers:

Communication Red Flags:

• Takes 2-3 days to respond to messages
• Vague about progress
• Misses update calls
• Defensive about questions
• Rushes you off calls

Technical Red Flags:

• Won't share code until "it's done"
• Hosting in their account "for convenience"
• No documentation "will do it later"
• Won't explain technical decisions
• Discourages you from reviewing code

Business Red Flags:

• Wants 100% upfront
• No contract or super vague contract
• Won't agree to support period
• Hesitant about code ownership clause
• Pushes back on reasonable requests

If you see 3+ of these, prepare for problems.

Finding a Reliable Replacement Developer

Green Flags for Trustworthy Developers

1. Transparency

• Shows you similar projects
• Explains trade-offs clearly
• Admits when something is hard
• Says "I don't know" when they don't
• Provides realistic timelines

2. Documentation Culture

• Their portfolio code has good READMEs
• They talk about documentation without prompting
• They include it in their quote
• They explain why it matters

3. Support Commitment

• Offers support period
• Explains how bugs will be handled
• Provides contact methods
• Sets expectations for response time
• Includes transition assistance

4. Professional Practices

• Uses Git properly (meaningful commits)
• Writes tests
• Follows security best practices
• Uses modern, maintainable tech
• Deploys to production, not just localhost

5. Communication Style

• Responds within 24 hours
• Proactive updates
• Explains in non-technical terms
• Asks clarifying questions
• Documents decisions

Questions to Ask During Hiring

1. "How do you handle code handoff?"

Bad answer: "I just send you the code"

Good answer: "I document everything, have a handoff call, make sure you can run it, answer questions for 30 days, and help onboard a new developer if needed"

2. "What happens if there's a bug after delivery?"

Bad answer: "That would be extra work"

Good answer: "I include 14-60 days of bug fixes depending on the tier. After that, we can discuss ongoing support or I can help transition to another developer"

3. "Who owns the hosting accounts?"

Bad answer: "I'll set it up for you in my account"

Good answer: "You create the accounts, add me as a team member, you control billing and access"

4. "Can you show me code from a past project?"

Bad answer: "It's all under NDA"

Good answer: Shows you a sanitized example with good structure and documentation

5. "What if we need to part ways mid-project?"

Bad answer: Hesitation, vague answer

Good answer: "You own all code already written, I'll do a handoff to whoever continues, you pay only for completed milestones"

The Bottom Line

Developer disappearing is common. It's not your fault.

Immediate actions:

1. Secure access to everything (Day 1)
2. Take complete backups (Day 1)
3. Get emergency technical help (Week 1)
4. Professional code audit (Week 1-2)
5. Decide: Fix, partial rebuild, or full rebuild (Week 2-3)

Prevention for next time:

• Code in your GitHub account
• Hosting in your name
• Documentation required
• Support period in contract
• Milestone payments
• Handoff process defined

Most important lesson:

The cheapest insurance is hiring someone trustworthy from the start. Pay a bit more for a developer who:

• Documents their work
• Commits to support
• Uses professional practices
• Communicates clearly

It costs 10-20% more upfront. It saves 300% in recovery costs when things go wrong.

Need help assessing your current situation? Let's review what you have

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Sources: Market research on developer reliability concerns, personal experience assisting 40+ founders in post-abandonment situations, contract best practices from software development legal experts.