What to Do When Your Agency Delivers Nothing

The discovery phase took three months. The strategy deck was beautiful. Then the agency ghosted you, the project stalled, and you're left with a half-built mess that nobody knows how to finish.

You're not alone. This happens more than anyone admits.

The Pitch-to-Invoice Pipeline

Here's how most agency engagements actually work:

The Hook: Senior partner runs the pitch. They understand your business. You trust them.
The Handoff: You sign. Senior partner disappears. Junior team takes over.
The Discovery: Weeks of workshops that feel productive but produce no deliverables.
The Deck: A beautiful strategy presentation that says everything and means nothing.
The Stall: Scope creep, change orders, timeline extensions, budget overruns.
The Ghost: Agency stops responding. Project dies. Invoice arrives.

Sound familiar?

Why This Keeps Happening

The incentive structure is broken. Agencies sell time, not outcomes. They get paid whether the project succeeds or fails. Longer projects mean more revenue.

The senior people don't do the work. The experts who sold you on the project don't actually build anything. By the time you realize this, you're already locked in.

Nobody owns the outcome. On the agency side, people rotate between projects. On your side, the exec who approved the project doesn't want to admit failure. So it just drifts.

You didn't know what to ask for. Without technical expertise, you can't tell good work from expensive busywork until it's too late.

What to Do Right Now

If you're currently stuck with a stalled project, here's how to salvage it:

1. Stop All Work

Don't throw more money at a failing engagement. Pause everything. Take stock.

2. Audit What Exists

What did they actually build? Not what they said they'd build—what exists, works, and can be used?

Code that runs?
Data that's clean?
Documentation that's accurate?
Training that stuck?

Most of the time, it's less than you paid for. But sometimes there's something worth saving.

3. Document the Gaps

What was promised vs. what was delivered? This isn't for legal reasons (though keep it for that too). It's so you understand the actual scope of what still needs to happen.

4. Find Someone to Finish It

The original agency probably can't or won't fix this. You need someone else. Look for:

People who've done recovery projects before
Fixed-price or milestone-based pricing
Clear deliverables with acceptance criteria
References from similar situations

5. Get Closure

Formally end the old engagement. Document everything. Don't leave it in limbo.

How to Avoid This Next Time

Don't Buy Time

Buy outcomes. "Implement CRM" is not an outcome. "Sales team can run their full workflow in CRM with accurate forecasting" is an outcome.

Demand Continuity

Who runs the pitch should be who does the work. Get it in writing. If the senior people won't commit to being involved, walk away.

Start Small

Don't sign a year-long engagement. Start with a small, contained project. See how they actually work before committing to something bigger.

Define Done

Before anything starts, agree on what "done" looks like. Not milestones—actual acceptance criteria. What does the system need to do for you to consider it complete?

Build In Exits

Structure the engagement so you can walk away at logical breakpoints. Milestone payments. 30-day termination clauses. Don't lock yourself in.

Keep Your Own Documentation

Don't rely on the agency to document what they're building. Keep your own records. If they leave, you need to be able to pick up where they left off.

The Real Problem

The consulting industry runs on information asymmetry. They know more than you do about what's possible and what things should cost. That's how they can charge $500/hour for work that junior people could do.

The fix isn't to become a technical expert yourself. It's to find technical people you trust who can represent your interests. A fractional CTO. A technical advisor. Someone who can ask the hard questions.

Or find partners who align their incentives with yours. People who get paid for outcomes, not hours. Who have skin in the game.

Stuck with a stalled project or a vendor who disappeared? Book a discovery call and we'll help you figure out what's salvageable and how to finish what they started.