Before access
Share what the software does, what feels fragile, and your next milestone. Agree the scope and confidentiality requirements.
HOW IT WORKS
From “what is this?”
to “I’ve got this.”
Understand the system. Agree the priorities. Make focused changes. Leave with the knowledge.
- 01
Scan
Get the whole picture.
We trace the structure, build, dependencies, key flows, and deployment path.
- 02
Diagnose
Find what actually matters.
You get a prioritized explanation of the risks, the tradeoffs, and what can stay as it is.
- 03
Treat
Agree the work. Fix the cause.
We define a focused repair scope, make changes in a reviewable branch, and check the behavior.
- 04
Hand Back
Leave you able to move forward.
Clear documentation, a walkthrough, and next steps put the knowledge back in your hands.
A REVIEW YOU CAN FOLLOW
The work stays visible.
During diagnosis
We inspect the relevant code and configuration, trace key flows, and distinguish confirmed findings from unanswered questions.
Before repairs
Review a prioritized plan. Agree what is changing, what success looks like, and how the changes will be checked.
At handoff
Review the changes and the evidence. Walk through the setup, system notes, and next steps so your team can keep moving.
ACCESS & CONFIDENTIALITY
Your repo.
Your boundaries.
An agreed process should make sharing code feel considered, not rushed. Keep secrets and live customer data out of the brief.
Do you need access to our whole repo?
A useful review needs enough context to trace the relevant system. Start by describing the project; agree the repositories and access level before sharing anything. Read-only access is the starting point for diagnosis.
Will you change production?
Diagnosis and repair are separate scopes. Repairs are proposed in a branch for review. Any production change or deployment needs an explicit agreement with your team.
What about secrets and customer data?
Keep API keys, credentials, and customer data out of the intake brief and any shared archive. A review usually needs code and sanitized configuration, not live production records.
Can we use an NDA?
Raise any NDA, confidentiality, retention, or access requirements before sharing code. Those terms should be agreed as part of the engagement.
Is this only for AI-generated code?
No. AI-built, inherited, rushed, and long-lived repositories all benefit from clearer context. The starting point is the problem you need to solve.
What do we get back?
A prioritized diagnosis, system notes, and next steps. If you proceed with repairs, the agreed handoff includes reviewable changes, relevant checks, and practical documentation.
LESS GUESSING. MORE BUILDING.
You built something.
Let’s make it understandable.
Start with the repo you have. We’ll work out the next step.
Get a Repo CheckupA conversation first. A clear scope next.