Technical consultancy & project rescue
Senior engineering judgement, on tap.
Senior engineering judgement without a hire: architecture and code reviews, technical roadmaps, sanity-checking quotes and developers, and taking over stalled or inherited projects.
Sometimes you don't need something built — you need to know whether what you're being told is true. Whether that quote is reasonable, whether that architecture will hold, why the project is three months late, whether the developer who's gone quiet left anything usable behind. I've run 360 technical reviews, roadmaps and solution architecture for clients across the UK, Sweden and Germany, led delivery teams, and reverse-engineered systems from a golden master for clients who'd lost their source code. That experience is available on its own, without a build attached.
- Fixed written quote
- Free scoping call
- Code and data are yours
When this service makes sense
You probably need this if…
You've got a quote or a proposal and no way to judge whether it's fair or realistic.
A project is late, over budget, or has gone quiet, and you don't know how bad it is.
Your developer or agency has left and you've inherited a codebase nobody understands.
You're about to make a decision — platform, architecture, hire — that's expensive to reverse.
You need senior technical weight in the room for investors, insurers or a client, without hiring a CTO.
How I approach it
My approach, step by step.
- 01
Look at what's actually there
Not the slide deck — the code, the infrastructure, the data and the deployment process. Most of the real answers are visible within a day or two of looking properly at a system, whoever built it.
- 02
Tell you the truth, in plain English
A written assessment you can act on: what's solid, what's risky, what it would realistically cost to fix, and what you can safely ignore. No jargon shield, and no incentive to talk you into a rebuild you don't need.
- 03
Give you a route, not just a verdict
A staged plan with the highest-risk or highest-value work first, sized realistically. I've broken large engagements into manageable, honestly-scoped chunks for blue-chip clients — the same discipline applied at your scale.
- 04
Take it over when that's what's needed
If the answer is that the project needs finishing rather than advising on, I can pick it up — including undocumented systems with no original developer available. Reverse-engineering someone else's work is a normal part of this job, not a blocker.
What you get
Concrete deliverables.
- A written technical review in plain English, with risks ranked by real-world impact
- An honest verdict on quotes, proposals or a current supplier's work
- A staged technical roadmap with realistic sizing and sequencing
- Architecture and security recommendations you can hand to any developer
- Optional hands-on takeover to finish or stabilise the work
Typical timeline
A focused review of an existing system or a quote usually takes a few days and can often start within a week. Ongoing advisory works as a regular retained slot; hands-on rescue work is day-rate with a two-week minimum.
Proof, not promises
Where this comes from.
eCommerce consultancy
Nexer UK
Leading eCommerce consultancy — winning new clients and supporting blue-chip accounts.
2 new clients won, plus blue-chip support
Read the case studyeCommerce · PIM SaaS
Pimberly
Re-architecting an eCommerce platform from monolith to microservices — so each client's processing scales on its own.
Per-client scaling — monolith re-architected to microservices on AWS
Read the case studyInsurance
Covéa Insurance
A customer claims platform that turns complex policy rules into an accurate, guided process.
CEO-recognised Innovation Day · AWS, MongoDB, IBM
Read the case study
Common questions
What clients usually ask.
Can you review a quote from another developer or agency?
Yes, and it's one of the most valuable few days you can buy. I'll tell you whether the price and timeline are realistic for the scope, what's missing from the proposal, and which questions to ask before you sign. I have no stake in whether you go ahead with them.
Our developer disappeared and nobody understands the system. Can you help?
That's a common starting point. I work systems out from the code, the data and how your team actually uses them — I've reverse-engineered software from a golden master for clients who'd lost their source entirely and given them back control of core functionality they couldn't touch.
Is this fractional CTO work?
In effect, yes, for businesses that need senior technical judgement regularly but not a full-time hire — architecture decisions, supplier management, roadmap and hiring input, on a regular slot in the diary.
What does consultancy cost?
It's day-rate. A focused review is usually a few days; retained advisory is a fixed number of days a month. Hands-on rescue work follows the same two-week minimum as bespoke builds, quoted after a free call.
Related services
Often paired with this.
Want to talk about technical consultancy & project rescue?
Tell me what you're trying to do. It's me who reads your message, and I'll reply within one business day.
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