Developer continuity cover

If your developer disappeared tomorrow, would your business keep running?

Standby gets to know your code and infrastructure in advance. You keep the keys. If your developer can't carry on, we're ready to step in with experienced engineers who already have what they need.

Book a free 30-minute call See how it works

The problem

One person holds the whole system.

Many businesses depend on one person for their software. That person wrote the code, runs the servers and holds the passwords.

Then something happens. They fall seriously ill, resign, go on a three-week holiday with no signal, or the relationship breaks down. Your product is down, your customers are waiting, and nobody else can even log in to see what's wrong.

Finding and onboarding a replacement takes weeks or months. Cover that already understands your system closes that gap.

What we do

Developer continuity cover.

Standby provides cover for businesses that rely on a single developer or a very small team.

A senior engineer learns your system in advance, makes sure the right people can reach it, and keeps that knowledge current. If your developer becomes unavailable, we step in, keep things running and help you find a permanent replacement. Additional engineers from our vetted bench are brought in as needed, briefed by the person who already knows your system.

Think of it as insurance, except instead of a payout, you get people who can actually fix the problem.

How it works

Prepared in advance, active only when needed.

STEP 1

Continuity audit and onboarding

We review your codebase, hosting environment and third-party services, and speak with your developer. You receive a clear report covering:

how your system fits together
where the risks are: shared logins, undocumented manual steps, untested backups, accounts owned by the wrong person
what to fix first

We also set up secure, auditable access: read-only standing access so we stay familiar with your system, and a dormant emergency route that only you, or someone you nominate, can switch on.

STEP 2

Ongoing cover

For a monthly retainer we:

keep our understanding of your system up to date with regular refresh reviews
maintain a living handover pack, so anyone we bring in can start from a good brief
test access every year, so we know it works before you need it
stay available for occasional questions and a second opinion on technical decisions

STEP 3

If the worst happens

Tell us, and we start work to stabilise the system, deal with urgent issues, and keep things moving.

Your lead engineer takes the first days, then hands over to a briefed engineer from our bench, so the cover doesn't rely on one person's diary. We also help you recruit and hand over to a permanent replacement.

Emergency cover is charged at a day rate agreed in advance, so there are no surprises when you're under pressure.

What you get

Cover you can describe to an investor.

Senior-led, not a helpdesk queue

The engineer who learns your system leads the response, with a vetted bench behind them.

Knowledge in advance

We aren't reading your code for the first time during a crisis.

Control stays with you

You own the accounts, you decide when emergency access is enabled, and you can revoke our access at any time.

Clear costs

A setup fee, a fixed monthly retainer, and an agreed day rate only if you invoke cover.

A stronger position with investors, acquirers and customers

"What happens if your developer leaves?" is a standard due diligence question. Now you have an answer.

Standby and the alternatives

Each option solves a different part of the problem.

Option	What it gives you	What it doesn't
Key-person insurance	A cash payout to the business, usually after death or critical illness.	Someone who can log in and fix the system, or cover for resignation, disputes or a developer who goes silent.
Source code escrow	Your code held safely by a third party and released on a trigger.	People who understand the code, or a live system someone can run.
A new agency, hired in a crisis	Capable engineers, eventually.	Any prior knowledge of your system, or access to it.
Standby	A team that already knows your system, has the access arranged, and is ready to act.	A guarantee of outcome. We give expert, best-efforts cover, not a promise that nothing will go wrong.

These options aren't mutually exclusive. Many clients keep key-person insurance for the financial cushion and use Standby for the technical cover.

Who it's for

Small teams with one point of failure.

Start-ups and small businesses with a single developer, freelancer or very small team.
Non-technical founders whose product is built and run by someone else.
Companies asked about key-person risk by investors, acquirers or enterprise customers.
Developers who want holiday and sickness cover, or a safety net. We work with developers, not around them.

Security and confidentiality

We take access to your systems seriously.

Least privilegeStanding access is read-only and excludes secrets and production data by default.
You hold the keysEmergency access is dormant until you or your nominated person activates it, and everything is logged.
Named individuals, not shared loginsEveryone with access to your systems has their own revocable identity, including any engineer we bring in.
Vetted engineersAnyone we bring in is bound by equivalent confidentiality terms, and you're told who they are. Where personal data could be reachable, they're covered by our data processing agreement.
Protections on our sideHardware security keys, MFA, per-client credential separation and an access register.
Written agreementsConfidentiality terms and, where relevant, a data processing agreement under UK GDPR.

How we use AI

We use AI-assisted analysis to understand codebases faster and keep documentation current. This is done under controlled conditions, with secrets and personal data excluded and with your written agreement. Everything is reviewed by an experienced engineer, and if you'd rather we didn't use it, we won't.

Pricing

Three costs, all agreed up front.

SetupFrom £1999

Based on the size and complexity of your system.

Monthly retainerFrom £199

Per month. Covers refresh reviews, the handover pack and annual access testing.

Emergency cover£799 / day

Only if you invoke it.

Prices depend on your system, so we quote after a short conversation. No obligation.

Frequently asked questions

Questions we hear first.

What counts as a trigger event?

Serious illness or death, resignation or dismissal, prolonged unavailability, or a dispute that leaves you without access to your own system. The exact definition is agreed in your contract, and it can be invoked by you or a nominated person, not only your developer.

Will my developer feel threatened?

Usually not, when it's explained properly. We work with them. It gives them holiday cover, a second pair of eyes, and less pressure from being the only person who understands everything. We're happy to speak to them first.

Is this a guarantee that everything will be fine?

No, and we won't claim that. It's expert, best-efforts cover that dramatically shortens the time between "we have a problem" and "someone capable is working on it." Terms are set out clearly in your agreement.

Isn't key-person insurance enough?

It covers a different problem. Insurance can provide money after a death or critical illness, which helps, but it doesn't put someone into your system or cover resignations and disputes. Many clients have both.

What stacks do you cover?

We support a wide range of languages, frameworks, databases and cloud platforms. We'll tell you honestly on the first call if your system isn't a good fit.

Do I need to hand over my passwords?

No. We use individual, revocable access, such as cross-account roles and named accounts, rather than shared passwords. You keep ownership of everything.

What if the person who knows my system isn't available?

Your cover doesn't depend on one person. Engineers from our bench are briefed in advance from your handover pack, so work can be passed on quickly.

Who will actually work on my system?

Your lead engineer takes the first days of any emergency, then hands over to a briefed engineer from our bench. You'll know who they are, and they're bound by the same confidentiality terms as we are.

What if we stop the service?

Access is removed, and we delete the local copies and generated documentation we hold. This is covered in the agreement.

Let's talk.

A 30-minute conversation is enough to tell you how exposed you are and whether Standby is the right fit.

Book a free call

hello@weareonstandby.com

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