When One Developer Holds All the Keys to Your Business

Every small business has one – that brilliant developer who built your custom software, knows every line of code, and fixes things with what seems like magic. They're irreplaceable. And that's exactly the problem.

The Bus Factor (Or the Lottery Factor, if You're an Optimist)

Here's an uncomfortable question: What happens to your business if your developer gets hit by a bus tomorrow? Or, less dramatically, what if they win the lottery, get sick, take a better job, or simply decide to retire to a beach somewhere?

If your answer involves any form of panic, you've got what we call a "single point of failure" (SPOF). It's like running your entire business through one employee who's the only person with the keys, the passwords, the knowledge, and the ability to keep things running.

Why This Happens (And Why It Seems Fine... Until You Look Closer)

Small businesses often start with one trusted developer:

• It's cost-effective (initially)

• Communication is simple

• They "get" your business

• You don't know what you don't know

  
  

But here's what's really happening behind the scenes: Without anyone reviewing their work, solo developers often cut corners. They skip documentation, use outdated practices, and build things in ways that make sense only to them. It's not always malicious – without peer review or accountability, bad habits multiply.

What looks like "getting things done quickly" is actually accumulating technical debt – shortcuts and messy code that will cost you dearly later.

The Real Costs of the One-Person Show

When they're on holiday, so is your progress. Need an urgent fix? Hope it can wait until Monday. Or next week. Or whenever they get back from that well-deserved break.

Their hourly rate isn't really their hourly rate. When someone knows they're irreplaceable, prices tend to climb. You lose all negotiating power when both parties know you have no alternatives.

Knowledge hoarding happens (even unintentionally). Solo developers rarely document their code properly. Why? No one's checking, no one's asking, and they're "too busy" delivering features. But undocumented, messy code is like a recipe written in personal shorthand – useless to anyone else.

Your next developer will need hazard pay. When new developers see code written by someone who worked alone for years, they often quote 2-3x normal rates. Why? They're not just building features – they're archaeologists decoding someone else's questionable decisions.

Your business can be held hostage: We've seen it happen—relationships sour, and suddenly that critical update costs 5x more. Or worse, they simply become unavailable, leaving you scrambling.

Red Flags You're Already There

• Only one person can fix problems with your software

• You've delayed projects because your developer was unavailable

• You have no idea how your software actually works

• There's no documentation (or it's "in their head")

• You feel anxious when they mention vacation plans

• Password and access information isn't stored securely somewhere you can access

Building Your Safety Net

Start with documentation. Ask your current developer to document the basics. If they resist, that's a massive red flag.

Gradual transition. You don't need to fire anyone. Add a backup developer who learns the system slowly. Frame it as "business continuity planning" – because that's exactly what it is.

Code reviews. Having a second developer occasionally review work keeps everyone honest and ensures that at least two people understand your systems.

Choose team-based vendors. When possible, work with companies rather than individuals. Built-in redundancy means someone's always available.

The Bottom Line

Your software is too critical to depend on one person's availability, health, or goodwill. Just like you wouldn't run your entire business through one employee who never takes vacation, your digital infrastructure needs backup, too.

The goal isn't to mistrust your developer – it's to protect your business (and honestly, to protect them from 3 AM emergency calls during their holidays).