You’re not the first exec to inherit a flaming dumpster of a dev project.
But how you handle the first 30 days? That’s what separates a quiet comeback from a full-blown crisis.
At Software Rescue 180, we’ve helped execs in your shoes navigate the chaos. This guide is blunt, honest, and battle-tested. No fluff. Just survival moves that work.
Day 1-3: Don’t React — Observe
You just landed. Resist the urge to fix everything at once. Instead, take a breath and gather intel. Meet with the team. Read the last few retros. Look at the repo. Watch a sprint in motion.
Your move: Be present, ask smart questions, and listen more than you talk.
Day 4-7: Identify the Smoke and the Fire
What’s annoying vs. what’s fatal? Figure out what’s perception and what’s reality. Are timelines slipping because of scope creep or lack of process? Is the tech stack misunderstood or truly misused?
Your move: Start mapping the real problems and potential landmines.
Day 8-14: Create a Containment Strategy
Once you know what’s on fire, you need to stop the spread. That might mean pausing non-critical features, putting a moratorium on new tickets, or even pulling in a rescue team (hi).
Your move: Communicate that you have a plan — and that it’s not business as usual.
Day 15-21: Rally the Right People
You can’t do this alone. Find your internal champions and your external support. The senior dev who’s quietly kept things together. The PM who knows where the bodies are buried. The partner who can help untangle the mess.
Your move: Build your rescue squad.
Day 22-30: Deliver the First Win
You don’t need a moonshot. You need momentum. Ship something real. Kill something broken. Clarify the next milestone. And most importantly, show that change is happening.
Your move: Create a visible, undeniable turning point.
Final Advice
Inheriting a broken software project doesn’t make you a bad leader. Ignoring it does.
Handle your first 30 days with clarity and confidence, and you can turn that flaming dumpster into a comeback story.
We’ve helped execs do it. Quietly. Successfully. Without the drama.
Need backup? We’re here when you’re ready.