The client gets what they bought

In September a client took over the repository for their reinsurance underwriting platform. They got a clean repository they can build, check and deploy themselves, with a record of exactly where it came from. The architecture checks came with it and still gate their production deploys.

What they didn’t get was how we built it. No docs corpus, no docs search tool, no agent skills, no agent instructions. That was designed in from the start, and the release fails if it isn’t true.

They got exactly what they bought. Nothing more.

Why this matters now

AI-assisted delivery produces a lot more than the application. The source repository had hundreds of documents, a docs search tool, agent skills and delivery tooling in it. That’s how we built it. It’s not what was sold.

Copy that repository across and the client gets clutter they didn’t pay for and can’t maintain, and the agency gives away the tooling that makes the next project faster.

Export, don’t copy

A lot of work went into a script that transfers just the agreed application, rather than everything we used to build it. Work on the release pipeline started in mid-May, weeks before the first production deploy.

• An allow-list decides what goes across. If it isn’t listed, it doesn’t ship.
• Forbidden paths and forbidden text patterns catch the things that shouldn’t leave: docs folders, agent configuration, references to internal repositories. Environment files never go.
• The export writes a README for the client and a provenance record of exactly which source it came from.

Verify, don’t trust

A verification step fails the release if anything internal leaks through: a docs folder, an agent skill, even a reference to an internal repository. The export has its own tests, like any other code.

When the handover came, a teammate extended the export for the final release rather than copying files by hand.

What each side keeps

The client gets the product: a repository they own outright, can run without us, and that enforces its own architecture.

The agency keeps the docs corpus, the agent skills and the delivery tooling. Those are what make the next project faster.

Questions to ask your supplier

If someone is building your product with AI tooling, ask:

1. What exactly is in the repository you’ll hand over, and what isn’t?
2. Can we build, check and deploy it ourselves, without you?
3. What enforces quality after you’ve gone?
4. Is there a record of which source the handover came from?

If AI tooling is part of how you deliver, decide early which parts are the product and which parts are yours.

Commissioning AI-assisted delivery and want a clean handover? Let’s talk.