Technical Leadership Without the Full-Time Cost
Get senior technical leadership when you need it—strategy, architecture, team guidance, execution oversight.
No equity dilution. No hiring process. No ramping up. Just experienced technical leadership starting day one.
Fractional CTO • 15+ years • Strategic + Hands-on
You need senior technical leadership, but not full-time
Hiring a full-time CTO is expensive, slow, and often overkill for where you are.
The CTO's role is to translate business needs into technical solutions. The goal: build an efficient technical unit that supports your business in the most effective way possible. That's what I do—whether full-time makes sense or not.
The full-time CTO challenge:
- $200k-$400k+ salary + equity—before benefits, taxes, overhead
- 3-6 months to hire (if you find the right person)
- High risk if it's not the right fit—costly to fix
- Often underutilized—you're paying for 40 hours but need 10-15
Fractional CTO approach:
- Pay only for what you need—typically 20-40% of full-time cost
- Start immediately—no 3-6 month hiring process
- Flexible engagement—scale up or down as needs change
- Experienced from day one—15+ years, battle-tested
What I actually do
Strategic + hands-on. Not just advising—I roll up my sleeves and build.
Technical Strategy
Define your tech stack, architecture, roadmap. Make the right build-vs-buy decisions. Plan for scale from day one.
Architecture & Infrastructure
Design scalable systems. Set up CI/CD, monitoring, security. Make technical debt manageable, not paralyzing.
Team Leadership
Guide your dev team. Code reviews, mentoring, process improvement. Help them level up while shipping faster.
Hiring & Building Teams
Define roles, interview candidates, make hiring decisions. Build a team structure that scales with your growth.
Execution Velocity
Fix bottlenecks. Improve developer experience. Ship faster without sacrificing quality or burning out the team.
Product-Engineering Alignment
Bridge product and engineering. Translate business needs into technical execution. Keep everyone aligned.
Who this is for
Pre-Seed / Seed Startups
You need senior technical leadership but can't justify a full-time CTO yet.
Perfect for: Technical co-founder wants strategic guidance, or non-technical founders building their first product.
Series A / B Growing Fast
Your existing CTO is overwhelmed or you're between CTOs.
Perfect for: Scaling teams, architecture needs overhaul, technical debt piling up, hiring needs to accelerate.
Established Companies
Need strategic technical leadership for specific initiatives.
Perfect for: New product lines, technical transformation, modernization projects, team reorganization.
You're a good fit if:
- You need strategic technical direction
- Your team needs guidance and mentoring
- You want hands-on execution, not just consulting
- Architecture and tech debt are piling up
- You value flexibility over full-time commitment
- You want experience immediately, not in 6 months
How it works
Initial Conversation
We discuss your needs, challenges, and goals. I assess where I can add the most value. No sales pitch—just an honest conversation about fit.
Define Engagement
We agree on time commitment (typically 1-2 days/week), focus areas, and deliverables. Monthly retainer, flexible scope.
Start Immediately
No ramp-up time. I dive in—assess current state, identify quick wins, start delivering value within the first week.
Ongoing Partnership
Regular sync meetings, strategic planning, hands-on execution. Scale up or down as needs change. Cancel anytime with 30 days notice.
What makes this different
Actually hands-on
I write code, review PRs, debug production issues. Not just PowerPoints and advice—I ship.
15+ years of real experience
Built products from 0 to millions of users. Seen what works and what doesn't. Know where the gotchas hide.
No BS, just results
Direct communication, honest assessment, practical solutions. I'll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
Developer experience obsessed
Fast builds, good tooling, clear architecture, happy developers. DX matters—it compounds into velocity.
Common questions
What's the time commitment?
Typically 1-2 days per week (8-16 hours). Flexible based on your needs—can scale up during critical periods or down when things are stable.
How is this different from consulting?
I'm part of your team, not an outside consultant. I'm in your Slack, your standups, your code reviews. Ongoing partnership, not a one-time engagement.
Do you actually write code?
Yes. I'm hands-on—write code, review PRs, debug issues, set up infrastructure. Strategic + execution.
What if it's not the right fit?
30-day cancellation notice, no long-term commitment required. If it's not working, we part ways professionally.
Can you help us hire a full-time CTO?
Yes. I can help define the role, interview candidates, and transition responsibilities when you're ready to hire full-time.
What industries do you work with?
Fintech, healthtech, SaaS, e-commerce, cybersecurity, ad tech. I specialize in patterns that work across industries, not specific domains.
Do you work with non-technical founders?
Absolutely. I translate technical concepts into business language and vice versa. Perfect for founders building their first technical product.
Ready to talk strategy?
Let's discuss your technical challenges and see if fractional CTO makes sense for where you are.
No sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about whether I can help.