Positioning for the Cleanup Economy: A Developer's Guide to Capturing Post-Vibe-Code Work

Positioning for the Cleanup Economy

Let's be real: You're not going to win the race to build simple MVPs anymore. A business owner with ChatGPT and Lovable can ship "good enough" in a weekend for $500.

But here's what they can't do: fix it when it breaks at scale. Secure it when hackers come knocking. Optimize it when performance tanks. Debug the edge case that only happens "sometimes."

That's the cleanup economy. And it's where the appreciative clients—and premium rates—live.

The Opportunity in Numbers

As of late 2025, here's what's emerging:

Reality	What It Means For You
Millions of vibe-coded apps entering production	Growing inventory of future cleanup work
Most lack proper security, error handling, scaling	Predictable failure points you can anticipate
Clients don't know what they don't know	They'll discover problems the hard way
When it breaks, they need help NOW	Urgency = premium rates

This window may narrow as AI capabilities improve. But right now, there's a significant gap between "works in demo" and "works in production at scale."

Skills to Develop

The Technical Stack

1. Security Auditing

Vibe-coded apps are security nightmares. Common issues you'll encounter:

SQL injection vulnerabilities (yes, still)
Tokens stored in localStorage instead of secure cookies
Missing row-level security (RLS) on databases
Hardcoded API keys in frontend code
No rate limiting or abuse prevention
CORS misconfigurations

Action: Learn OWASP Top 10 cold. Practice with deliberately vulnerable apps. Get comfortable with security scanning tools (Snyk, npm audit, OWASP ZAP).

2. Performance Optimization

AI generates code that works. It doesn't generate code that works efficiently.

Common patterns you'll fix:

N+1 query problems
Missing database indexes
Unbatched API calls
Memory leaks from improper cleanup
Unoptimized images and assets
Missing caching strategies

Action: Learn to profile applications. Understand database query plans. Practice with Chrome DevTools, Lighthouse, and APM tools.

3. Debugging Complex Systems

When vibe coders hit walls, they've usually already asked AI to fix it—multiple times. What remains are the genuinely hard problems:

Race conditions and timing issues
State management nightmares
Integration failures between services
"It works locally but not in production"
Intermittent failures that defy simple reproduction

Action: Build mental models of how systems fail. Practice systematic debugging. Learn distributed systems basics.

4. Architecture Rescue

Some vibe-coded apps need more than patches—they need structural work:

Separating concerns that got tangled
Adding proper error boundaries
Implementing actual state management
Building API layers where frontend talks directly to DB
Restructuring for maintainability

Action: Study system design patterns. Understand why architectural decisions matter for scale.

The Soft Skills

1. Forensic Communication

Clients who hit walls are often frustrated and confused. They've been told their app "should work" but it doesn't.

You need to:

Diagnose without condescending
Explain technical issues in business terms
Quantify risk so they understand urgency
Propose solutions with clear trade-offs

2. Trust Under Pressure

Cleanup clients often come to you in crisis mode. Revenue is lost. Customers are complaining. They're stressed.

You need to:

Stay calm when they're panicking
Set realistic expectations (not false hope)
Communicate progress consistently
Deliver when you say you will

3. Scope Management

Vibe-coded apps are often interconnected messes. Fixing one thing reveals three more problems.

You need to:

Define clear boundaries for engagements
Document discovered issues separately
Price for phases, not endless scope
Know when to recommend rebuild vs. rescue

How to Market Yourself

Positioning Statements

Instead of: "Full-stack developer available for projects"

Try:

"I rescue apps that outgrew their codebase"
"Security audits for AI-generated code"
"From MVP to production-ready"
"When your app breaks at scale, I fix it"

Where Cleanup Clients Look

1. Google Search (Urgent Problems)

People with broken apps search for solutions:

"app slow after launch"
"fix security vulnerability [framework]"
"database performance issues"
"production errors [error message]"

Content marketing around these queries positions you for inbound leads.

2. Communities Where Vibe Coders Gather

Indie Hackers (when launches go wrong)
Twitter/X (complaints about scaling issues)
Reddit (r/SideProject, r/startups when things break)
Replit/Lovable community forums

Be helpful before being promotional. Answer questions. Build reputation.

3. Referral Networks

Vibe coders know other vibe coders. One successful rescue can generate referrals.

Build relationships with:

No-code/low-code consultants (they hit their limits)
Startup accelerators (portfolio companies need help)
Technical co-founder matching services
AI tool companies (they know their users' limits)

Portfolio Strategy

Show the transformation, not just the work:

Before/after performance metrics
Security vulnerabilities found and fixed
Load testing results (what it handles now vs. before)
Client testimonials about the crisis you solved

Document your process:

How you diagnosed the problem
What you found (sanitized)
How you fixed it
What the client learned

This content attracts similar clients with similar problems.

Pricing for Rescue Work

Why Rescue Commands Premium

Factor	Why It Increases Value
Urgency	They're losing money/customers NOW
Risk	They've already tried cheaper options
Expertise	Complex problems require deep skills
Stakes	Business impact is clear and immediate
Appreciation	They understand the value now

Pricing Models

1. Diagnostic Fee (Discovery)

Charge for initial assessment:

Review codebase
Identify issues
Prioritize by severity
Provide written report
Quote for fixes

Range: $500 - $2,500 depending on codebase size

Why it works: Filters serious clients. You get paid even if they don't proceed. Report itself has value.

2. Fixed-Price Rescue Packages

Common packages:

Security Audit: Find and document vulnerabilities ($1,500 - $5,000)
Performance Optimization: Identify and fix top bottlenecks ($2,000 - $8,000)
Production Readiness: Comprehensive review and fixes ($5,000 - $15,000)

Why it works: Clients know the cost upfront. You control scope. Clear deliverables.

3. Emergency/Rush Rates

When they need it fixed NOW:

1.5x - 2x standard rate
Minimum engagement (e.g., 8 hours)
Priority scheduling

Why it works: Real emergencies justify premium. Protects your time.

4. Ongoing Support Retainer

After the rescue:

Monthly retainer for ongoing maintenance
Priority response for issues
Quarterly security reviews
Performance monitoring

Range: $500 - $3,000/month depending on application complexity

Why it works: Recurring revenue. Clients get peace of mind. You know the codebase.

Pricing Psychology

Anchor against their losses, not your hours:

If their app being down costs them $10,000/day, a $5,000 fix completed in 48 hours is a bargain—regardless of how long it actually takes you.

Quote for outcomes, not inputs:

"Fix the authentication security vulnerability" not "10 hours of development work"

Include the learning tax:

Vibe-coded apps require extra time to understand. Your first hour might be just figuring out how it works. Price this in.

The Engagement Flow

1. Initial Contact (Crisis Mode)

They reach out panicking. Their app is broken/slow/hacked.

Your response:

Acknowledge urgency
Ask clarifying questions (tech stack, symptoms, timeline)
Explain your diagnostic process
Quote diagnostic fee
Offer fastest available slot

2. Diagnostic Phase

You assess the situation:

Review codebase
Reproduce issues
Identify root causes
Document findings
Assess overall health (what else might break)

Deliverable: Written report with prioritized findings and fix options

3. Proposal

Based on diagnostics:

Scope of work (clear boundaries)
Timeline
Pricing (fixed or estimated range)
What's NOT included
Dependencies/requirements from them

4. Execution

Do the work:

Regular status updates
Document what you change
Test thoroughly
Don't create new problems

5. Handoff

Deliver:

Working fixes
Documentation of changes
Recommendations for future
Offer ongoing support

Red Flags to Watch For

Not every cleanup engagement is worth taking:

Red Flag	Why It's Risky
Won't pay diagnostic fee	Doesn't value expertise
"Just a quick fix"	Underestimates complexity
Wants unlimited scope at fixed price	Recipe for losses
Previous developer "just disappeared"	Pattern of difficult clients
No access to source code/systems	Can't do the work
Expects 24/7 availability at standard rates	Boundaries will be tested

When to Walk Away

Scope is genuinely unlimited (complete rebuild disguised as "fixes")
Client won't accept reality about their codebase
Budget doesn't match actual work required
You'd be liable for their compliance failures
The app is doing something unethical/illegal

Your 30-Day Positioning Sprint

Week 1: Skill Assessment

Audit your current skills against cleanup needs
Identify 2-3 areas to strengthen
Start learning resources (courses, docs, practice)

Week 2: Positioning & Messaging

Write your cleanup-focused positioning statement
Update LinkedIn/portfolio with rescue framing
Create one piece of content about a cleanup topic

Week 3: Outreach & Visibility

Join 2-3 communities where vibe coders gather
Answer questions helpfully (no pitching)
Connect with adjacent service providers

Week 4: Productize

Create your diagnostic package
Define 2-3 standard rescue offerings
Set your pricing structure
Prepare proposal templates

The Bottom Line

The cleanup economy isn't a consolation prize—it's a premium positioning.

Clients who've tried DIY and failed come back with:

Real appreciation for what professional development actually involves
Clear pain they need solved (not vague requirements)
Budget freed up by failed attempts
Urgency that commands premium rates

You're not competing with $500 vibe-coded MVPs. You're positioning for the $5,000+ rescue when those MVPs hit production reality.

The window is open now. Position yourself before every developer figures this out.

Related Reading:

The $500 App: The Cleanup Economy — Why this opportunity exists
What Your Clients Are Actually Thinking — Understanding the business owner's calculation
The Vibe Coding Revolution — What non-developers are building with AI
Software Engineer: Risk by Project Type — Which work is at risk, which isn't