The Red Flags We Spot Before a Project Goes Wrong
Posted at Jul. 2, 2025
At Techstacks, we’ve built enough projects — and fixed enough broken ones — to know one truth:
Projects rarely fail because of the code.
They fail because of everything that happens before the code.
Unclear goals. Rushed timelines. Tech stacks chosen for the wrong reasons.
We’ve seen it all — and we’ve learned how to spot the warning signs early.
Here’s what we look out for (and how we guide our clients away from costly mistakes).
- “We just need something live ASAP.”
⚠️ Why it’s a red flag:
Urgency without clarity is a recipe for technical debt. When a client’s only goal is “speed,” without knowing what success looks like, it usually leads to rework, bugs, or total rebuilds.
✅ What we do instead:
We slow down just enough to ask key questions:
- Who’s this for?
- What does “live” mean?
- What’s your fallback plan if this doesn’t work?
Fast is good. Smart is better.
- “Can we just keep adding features as we go?”
⚠️ Why it’s a red flag:
This usually signals a lack of scope definition. Projects that evolve without guardrails tend to stretch budgets, blow deadlines, and exhaust everyone involved.
✅ Our approach:
We build flexible — but focused.
We define must-haves vs. nice-to-haves up front, so we can move fast without spinning in circles. And if scope needs to change, we make space for it — with structure, not chaos.
- “We want to use [X tech] — it’s what [insert big brand] uses.”
⚠️ Why it’s a red flag:
Using a tech stack just because it’s trendy (or used by a billion-dollar company) doesn’t mean it’s right for your business. We’ve seen startups struggling to maintain tools meant for enterprise-level teams — overkill that backfires.
✅ What we advise:
We assess the fit, not just the flash.
The best stack is the one that balances performance, maintainability, and your team’s actual capacity. We recommend tech that’s right for you — not just what’s hot.
- “We’ll figure out the content later.”
⚠️ Why it’s a red flag:
Designing or developing without content almost always leads to broken layouts, placeholder fatigue, and a disconnect between form and function.
✅ How we fix it:
We encourage clients to work on content alongside design/dev — or at least share the structure, tone, and goals early. If needed, we collaborate with copywriters or help organize the content strategy.
- Silence, delays, or unclear feedback during early stages.
⚠️ Why it’s a red flag:
If communication is spotty during onboarding or discovery, it usually gets worse later. Misalignment at the start leads to mismatched expectations by the time you're deep in dev.
✅ What we do:
We set up clear rhythms:
- Weekly or biweekly check-ins
- Async-friendly updates
- A shared understanding of feedback timelines and approvals
We don’t guess — we clarify.
Our Promise: We’re Not Here to Say “Yes” to Everything
We’re not a dev team that just takes orders.
We’re here to build smart, scalable, sustainable solutions — which means sometimes we push back, ask tough questions, and challenge assumptions. Not to be difficult — but to build something worth launching.
Final Thoughts
Great projects don’t happen by luck.
They happen when someone watches out for the signs that things could go wrong — and acts early to steer the ship straight.
That’s what we do at Techstacks.
Before the first commit, we’re already thinking five steps ahead — so our clients can move forward with confidence.