In real life, what typically happens is, after the twister, your house lands on top of the previous lead architect, and you peer tremulously out the door at a twisted landscape of big balls of crufty mud, written by short programmers, their growth stunted by long working hours and junk food, under the spell of some lesser process than XP.

This leaves you wondering where to start. Then MichaelFeathers, wearing a Wikid Witch of the North costume, appears with a copy of The Joy of LegacyCode, and smacks you across the forehead with it.

Refactor Low Hanging Fruit