Ending a relationship with a developer or agency, whether amicably or not, is a moment of real risk. If you do not collect the right things first, you can find yourself locked out of your own product. Here is the exit checklist.
The short answer
Before you part ways, secure: all source code, ownership of every account (hosting, database, domain, services), all credentials, documentation, and a final status of the work. Do it while the relationship is still functional, not after it sours.
The exit checklist
- Full source code, in a repository you own, with history.
- Account ownership transferred to you, hosting, database, domain, repo, third-party services (see own your code and accounts).
- All credentials, and a plan to rotate anything sensitive after they leave.
- The database and your data, exported or under your control.
- Documentation, setup, architecture, decisions, known issues.
- A final walkthrough of what was built and what remains.
- Any design files, assets, and domain/DNS access.
- Confirmation of IP ownership in writing (see who owns the code).
Do it early and calmly
The best time to secure all this is before you have decided to leave, when the relationship is good and cooperation is easy. The worst time is in the middle of a dispute. If things are heading toward an end, quietly confirm you have access to everything important first.
The structural protection
Most "developer held my product hostage" stories trace to two failures: accounts under the developer's control, and ownership never put in writing. Fix both at the start and an exit is low-drama, you already hold everything.
A product simulation is delivered as documented, runnable, owned-by-you code from day one, which means you are never in the position of having to pry your own product out of someone's hands. Ownership is the default, not a negotiation.
Want to never be locked out of your own product? Start a project.
Frequently asked
What if the relationship is ending badly?
Move fast and stay professional. Secure access to your code, accounts, and data first, while you still can. Disputes are far easier to handle when you already hold what is yours.
Can a developer hold my product hostage?
It happens, usually when the code and accounts were under their control and ownership was never clarified. The defense is to own accounts from the start and to collect everything before the relationship ends.