Fractional CTO
Senior technical leadership, without the full-time hire.
I help founders and growing software teams make the technical decisions that shape the next year — architecture, hiring, vendor choices, and roadmap — as a part-time CTO. The kind of senior judgment most growing companies need but can't yet justify hiring full-time.
Former Google Cloud engineer · startups to the Fortune 500 · delivering remotely since 2014
When a fractional CTO pays for itself
If you're making a decision that will shape the next year of your business and you don't have a senior technical leader in-house to gut-check it, that's when this pays off. A wrong architecture or a bad vendor choice costs far more than getting the right advice early.
- You're about to rebuild or re-platform and want a second set of senior eyes before you commit.
- You're hiring engineers and need someone who can interview well and set them up to succeed.
- The roadmap, the vendors, and the budget aren't lining up, and you need a plan you can trust.
What you get
Roadmap & strategy
A technology plan tied to your business goals — what to build, what to buy, and what to ignore for now.
Architecture & reviews
Design decisions you can trust, plus code and architecture reviews that keep a small team shipping safely.
Hiring & team
Interview your engineers, shape the team you actually need, and mentor the people you already have.
Vendor & build decisions
Cut through vendor pitches and the hype to the choices that fit your stage, budget, and timeline.
How it starts
We begin with a paid technical assessment — a focused 90-minute working session where I dig into your stack, your team, and the decision in front of you, followed by a written report: what I'd do, in what order, and what it would cost.
It's $1,000, and it stands on its own — you walk away with a plan whether or not we keep working together. If an ongoing fractional-CTO arrangement makes sense from there — engagements typically run $12,000/mo — we scope it from a place of trust, not a sales pitch.
Common Questions
Frequently asked
What does a fractional CTO cost?
It starts with a $1,000 technical assessment — a focused working session and a written plan that stands on its own. If an ongoing arrangement makes sense from there, fractional-CTO engagements typically run $12,000/month. Everything is scoped and fixed before work begins; no hourly billing.
When do you actually need a fractional CTO?
When you're making a decision that will shape the next year — re-platforming, hiring engineers, choosing vendors, setting the roadmap — and you don't have a senior technical leader in-house to gut-check it. A wrong architecture or vendor choice costs far more than getting the right advice early.
How is a fractional CTO different from a consultant or an interim CTO?
A consultant advises and leaves; an interim CTO is full-time for a stretch. A fractional CTO is ongoing but part-time — senior judgment and accountability a few hours a week, scaled to what your stage actually needs.
What does working together look like?
We begin with a paid 90-minute assessment and a written plan. From there, engagements range from a scoped project to an ongoing retainer where I join your team directly — standups, architecture decisions, code review, and mentoring. Communication is direct and frequent.
Prefer to talk first?
No commitment, no pitch — just a 15-minute conversation about the decision in front of you.