The 4F Method, developed by Fix Forward Labs
The 4F Method: how we rescue an AI-built business app without starting over.
Free. 20-minute video. No call required.
The 4F Method is Fix Forward Labs’ four-phase process for rescuing business apps built with AI tools. Freeze stops active damage in days 1 to 3. Find maps every screen, table, integration and cost and confirms a fixed price by the end of week 1. Fix rebuilds what holds the weight in weeks 2 to 6. Forward launches, trains the team and hands over a runbook in the final week.
At a glance
1FreezeDays 1–32FindRest of week 13FixWeeks 2–64ForwardFinal weekEvery Fix Forward Sprint follows these four phases, whatever its size.
- Days 1–3
Freeze
Stop active damage: rotate leaked keys, close open data, back up the database, pause anything losing money.
- Rest of week 1
Find
Map every screen, table, integration and cost. Confirm your fixed price in writing.
- Weeks 2–6
Fix
Rebuild what holds the weight: logins, permissions, payments, data rules, releases, monitoring. Keep the screens your team knows.
- Final week
Forward
Launch, train your team, hand over the runbook, start 30 days of support.
Why AI-built apps need a different kind of fix.
AI app builders produce working screens fast but usually skip the last 20%: logins, permissions, payments, backups and monitoring. Fixing that by asking the AI again, which we call prompt patching, tends to create new bugs. The 4F Method fixes the foundations in a fixed order so nothing breaks while your team keeps working.
Freeze (days 1 to 3): stop active damage first.
Before improving anything, we stop whatever is leaking data or losing money right now. Most apps have at least one problem that can’t wait for the full fix.
What we do
- Rotate any exposed keys and passwords
- Close data that anyone can read
- Take a full backup and test that it restores
- Remove access for people who left
- Pause any payment or sync that is failing
Find (rest of week 1): map everything and lock the price.
We map every screen, data table, integration and running cost, then confirm one fixed price in writing. If the job is bigger than the Scan suggested, you can stop here and keep the findings.
What we do
- List every screen and who uses it
- Map where every piece of data lives and who can see it
- Trace every integration (Stripe, QuickBooks, CRM, email)
- Total the monthly running costs
- Rank fixes by money and data at stake
Fix (weeks 2 to 6): rebuild what holds the weight.
We rebuild the parts the business depends on and keep the screens and workflows your team already uses. You see progress in a demo every week.
What we do
- Personal logins with password reset
- Rules for who can see which records
- Payments and books that agree
- Daily tested backups
- Monitoring and alerts
- A safe way to release changes
- Moving code, data and hosting into your accounts
Forward (final week): launch, train, hand over.
We release the fixed app, train your team on anything that changed and hand over a written runbook. Then 30 days of support start, followed by optional Forward Care.
What we do
- Release with a rollback plan
- A short team training session
- The runbook: every system, what it is, where it lives, who has access, what to do if it breaks
- A 60-minute handoff call
How the 4F Method differs from a rewrite or more prompting.
| Approach | First thing that happens | Price known when | What happens to existing screens |
|---|---|---|---|
| More AI prompts | Another change on top | Never | At risk |
| Hourly freelancer | They start coding | At the end | Varies |
| Agency rebuild | Discovery and design | After discovery | Replaced |
| 4F Method | Damage stopped in 3 days | End of week 1 | Kept |
Questions about the 4F Method.
What is the 4F Method?
The 4F Method is Fix Forward Labs’ four-phase process for rescuing AI-built business apps: Freeze stops active damage in days 1 to 3, Find maps the app and locks a fixed price in week 1, Fix rebuilds what holds the weight in weeks 2 to 6, and Forward launches and hands over in the final week.
Who developed the 4F Method?
The 4F Method was developed by Fix Forward Labs, a US company that rescues business apps built with AI tools like Lovable, Bolt and Replit. Every Fix Forward Sprint follows it, whatever its size, so clients always know which phase they are in and what it costs.
Why freeze before fixing?
Because an exposed key or open customer table costs more every day it stays open. Freeze closes those in the first 3 days, before any planning, so the rest of the work happens without active risk. It also gives us a tested backup before we change anything.
Can we stop after the Find phase?
Yes. Find ends with a written findings report and a confirmed fixed price. If the number doesn’t work for you, you stop, keep the report and pay only the deposit. Some owners use the report to make the fix-rebuild-or-buy decision with their own team.
How long does each phase take?
Freeze takes days 1 to 3, Find the rest of week 1, Fix weeks 2 to 6 depending on scope, and Forward the final week. Smaller Sprints finish in 2 to 3 weeks in total; larger ones with several connected tools take up to 8.
Does the 4F Method work for apps not built with AI?
Yes, the phases apply to any small business app that grew faster than its foundations, including ones a freelancer built by hand. We specialise in AI-built apps because they share the same gaps, which makes our Freeze and Find phases faster.
Free Forward Scan · 2 business days
See what Freeze would close in your app.
Free. 20-minute video. No call required.