Lovable.dev and Bolt.new have democratized software development. Non-technical founders can now build working MVPs in hours instead of weeks. But these tools have limits — and knowing when you've hit them is crucial.
When to Rescue
Your Lovable or Bolt project is a good rescue candidate if:
- The core functionality works, but there are bugs or deployment issues
- You've burned through tokens trying to fix the same issue repeatedly
- The AI has "forgotten" context and started breaking things
- You need to add features the AI keeps getting wrong
- The architecture is sound but implementation has issues
In these cases, a professional developer can usually fix issues in a few days and put your project back on track. The existing code is valuable and salvageable.
Common Rescue Scenarios
Scenario 1: The Deployment Wall — Everything works in the Lovable preview. Deploy to production and it breaks. CSS doesn't load. API routes 404. Database connections fail. This usually takes 2-5 days to fix with proper deployment configuration. Learn more about why AI code hits walls.
Scenario 2: The Feature That Won't Stick — You ask for a feature. It works. You ask for another feature. The first feature breaks. You're stuck in a loop regenerating the same code. Solution: Properly architect the codebase so features don't conflict. Timeline: 1-2 weeks.
Scenario 3: The Performance Cliff — App worked great with test data. Added real data and page loads went from 2 seconds to 30 seconds. Usually caused by missing database indexes, N+1 queries, or inefficient data fetching. Fix: 3-7 days.
Scenario 4: The Integration Nightmare — Need to connect to Stripe, SendGrid, and an internal API. Bolt generates code that works in isolation but breaks when all three run together. Fix: Proper error handling, async patterns, and state management. Timeline: 1-2 weeks.
Scenario 5: The Context Amnesia — Lovable "forgot" your database schema and generated incompatible code. Now half your features use one schema, half use another. Fix: Schema normalization and data migration. Timeline: 1-3 weeks depending on data complexity.
The Rescue Process
Phase 1: Audit (2-3 days) — We export your code, run it locally, document what works vs. what's broken, identify architectural issues, and assess data integrity.
Phase 2: Stabilization (3-5 days) — Fix critical bugs, get the app deployable, add proper error handling, and establish a working baseline.
Phase 3: Architecture Cleanup (1-2 weeks) — Extract reusable components, establish consistent patterns, normalize data schemas, and set up proper state management.
Phase 4: Feature Completion (1-2 weeks) — Implement the features that were breaking, add missing functionality, and build what AI couldn't.
Phase 5: Handoff (2-3 days) — Document the codebase, establish development practices, and show you how to maintain it going forward.
Total rescue timeline: 3-6 weeks from broken to production-ready.
Red Flags That Indicate Rebuild
Security Issues Baked In: Hard-coded API keys, exposed database credentials, unvalidated user input going directly to queries. These aren't quick fixes — they indicate fundamental security misunderstanding.
Corrupt Data Layer: Inconsistent database schema across tables, data integrity rules violated, impossible to add new features without breaking existing data.
Over-Engineered For No Reason: 47 database tables for a simple CRUD app. 15 microservices when monolith would work. Sometimes AI generates overly complex architectures that are harder to fix than rebuild.
More Comments Than Code: If the AI-generated code has thousands of lines of comments explaining convoluted logic, it's a sign the architecture is too complex.
When to Rebuild
Sometimes, the right answer is starting fresh:
- The database schema is fundamentally flawed
- Security issues are baked into the architecture
- The codebase has become unmaintainable spaghetti
- You need features that require a completely different tech stack
- The cost of fixing exceeds the cost of rebuilding
Our Assessment Process
When you bring us a Lovable or Bolt project, we do a thorough code review before recommending anything. We'll tell you honestly which path makes more sense — even if it means less work for us.
The goal isn't to maximize billable hours. It's to get you to a working, scalable product as efficiently as possible.
Key Takeaways
- Rescue when core features work but deployment, performance, or new features break
- Rebuild when database structure is flawed, security is compromised, or architecture is fundamentally broken
- Common rescue scenarios: deployment issues, feature conflicts, performance cliffs, integration problems
- Typical rescue timeline: 3-6 weeks from broken code to production-ready app
- Get an honest assessment before deciding — sometimes saving 70% of existing code is smarter than starting over
- Most Lovable/Bolt projects are rescuable if caught early — don't wait until technical debt compounds
The goal isn't to maximize billable hours. It's to get you to a working, scalable product as efficiently as possible.