Red Lion Network

Website and web app rescues

Stuck project? We'll get it moving again.

Whether your developer is gone or isn't working out, we step in and get your website or web app moving again, even if we didn't build it.

Project statusStalled
  • Code, hosting, and accounts secured
  • Honest review of where things stand
  • Urgent problems fixed
  • Plan, scope, and price agreed
  • Delivery back on track

Situations we step into

Most website and web app rescues start with a developer who is gone, leaving, or not working out. If any of these sound familiar, we've been there with other businesses before.

  • Your developer disappeared

    They stopped answering, and your project is half-finished or no one's looking after it. We recover what we can, figure out where things stand, and pick up where they left off.

  • You need to replace your developer

    It isn't working out and you want to plan ahead before you make a change. We help you quietly make sure you own and can get into your code, hosting, and accounts, then plan the handoff.

  • Work is moving too slowly

    Deadlines keep slipping and the budget keeps growing. We look at what is really slowing things down and get delivery moving again.

  • You're not happy with the work

    Something feels off, but it's hard to judge code yourself. We review what was built and give you an honest second opinion, and we can take over if that's the right call.

  • Your agency closed or dropped you

    The company behind your app shut down, got acquired, or stopped taking your calls. We step in so your customers don't notice the change.

  • Only one person knows how it works

    If your whole app depends on one developer, you're one bad week away from trouble. We learn it, write down how it works, and become your backup.

  • Your AI-built app hit a wall

    Tools like Lovable, Bolt, and Replit got you started, but now it's breaking or it isn't ready for real customers. We fix it and finish the job.

  • Your developer is retiring

    The person who built your website or app is stepping away. We take over while they're still around to answer questions, so what they know doesn't leave with them.

Case study

Rescuing an insurance billing platform

An insurance company's new IT company came to us for urgent help. The original developer was gone, and reports to the insurance carriers were overdue.

What we walked into

  • The only developer was gone
  • No documentation of how anything worked
  • No one had access to the live servers
  • Required reports to insurance carriers were overdue

How we stabilized it

  1. 1
    Got back into the live system

    We rebuilt the AWS EC2 instance so the business had access to its live servers again.

  2. 2
    Put backups in place

    There were no backups at all. We set them up right away, so years of billing data were no longer one failure from gone.

  3. 3
    Got the overdue carrier reports out

    We worked through the urgent reporting first, so the required reports reached the insurance carriers.

  4. 4
    Cleared the backlog

    With the urgent issues handled, we caught up on the past-due updates and features that had piled up.

Where it is today

Eight years later, we're still here. We eventually led development of version 2, built to fix the problems the original had run into and add new features. A Fortune 500 insurance company later acquired it, and our team still maintains it today.

Where to start

Not sure you need a rescue yet? Start with a second opinion. If you already know, we can take it from here.

Second opinion

Best if you want to know where things stand before deciding anything.

  • A review of the code and how the project is being run
  • What's solid, what isn't, and what's putting you at risk
  • Whether the pace and cost you are seeing are reasonable
  • A call to walk through it and talk over your options

Full takeover

Best if you need someone to take the project off your hands.

  • Everything in the second opinion
  • We secure your code, hosting, domain, and accounts
  • We fix the most urgent problems first
  • We finish the work and stay on to support it

I'm Josh, the founder and lead developer of Red Lion Network. I have been an entrepreneur and freelance contract developer for over 20 years.

In that time I have worked with hundreds of clients, built many products from idea through production, and rescued dozens of projects that had gone sideways. In 2012 I formed Red Lion Network to be the dependable development partner our clients could count on, treating every project as if it were our own.

Today we are a small team focused on the same goal, and you'll still find me leading most development projects! Whether you have an idea you want to build, a prototype that needs refinement, or a project that needs rescuing, !

Josh Belcastro
Josh Belcastro
Founder & Lead Developer

Questions we get asked

Yes, this is one of the most common rescues we handle. When a developer goes dark and leaves you with a half-finished or unsupported project, we step in, recover whatever code and accounts still exist, audit where things stand, and get delivery moving again, even with little or no documentation.

Start the handoff before they leave. We work with them while they're still available, learn how everything fits together, and write it down, so nothing gets lost when they go.

Yes, and we'll keep it quiet. Before anything changes, we help you confirm that you own and can get into your code, hosting, domain, and other accounts. Then we plan the handoff so the switch doesn't put your business at risk.

Yes. We review the code and how the project is being run, then tell you plainly what's solid, what isn't, and whether the pace you're seeing is reasonable. You decide what happens next, including whether we take over.

Yes, that's what a rescue is. We start by learning how your project works, whatever it was built with, before we change anything.

Only if it's truly the better option. Most projects can be saved, and we'll walk you through the tradeoffs before you decide.

It happens more often than you'd think. We help you get access back through your hosting, domain, and other providers, and rebuild anything that can't be recovered.

Yes. We review what the tool built, fix what is broken or unsafe, and finish it so it is ready for real customers. If you are mostly worried about safety, a security audit is a good place to start.

It depends on the state of your project, and typical engagements start at $1,600. Once we know where things stand, we scope and price the work, so you know what you're getting before anything starts.

Let's get your project back on track.

Free, confidential 15-minute call. Tell us what's going on.