CTO as a Service

A fractional CTO is a senior technology executive who works with your company on a part-time or project basis, providing the same strategic leadership and technical expertise as a full-time CTO but at a fraction of the cost. You get executive-level guidance for critical decisions, team building, and technology strategy without the salary, equity, and benefits package of a full-time hire. This model is ideal for startups, growing companies, or organizations in transition.

A fractional CTO provides significant cost savings—typically 30-50% less than a full-time hire when factoring salary, equity, and benefits. You gain immediate access to senior expertise without lengthy recruitment processes, flexibility to scale engagement up or down as needs change, and fresh outside perspective unburdened by internal politics. For companies that need strategic guidance but not daily operational oversight, fractional CTOs deliver executive-level value at a sustainable investment.

We start with a discovery session to understand your business goals, technology challenges, and team dynamics. Based on this, I propose an engagement model—typically weekly hours or days—that matches your needs. Regular touchpoints include strategy sessions, team meetings, architecture reviews, and stakeholder updates. Communication happens through your preferred channels, and I integrate with your existing workflows. Engagements are structured with clear deliverables and milestones.

Fractional CTO services are ideal for startups building their first engineering team, growing companies scaling their technology, businesses undergoing digital transformation, organizations between CTO hires, and companies preparing for fundraising or acquisition. If you need strategic technology leadership but a full-time executive is premature or cost-prohibitive, a fractional CTO bridges that gap while providing genuine senior guidance.

Fractional CTO costs are typically 30-50% of what you'd pay for a full-time CTO when considering salary, equity, and benefits. Pricing depends on the scope of engagement, time commitment, and specific deliverables. I offer retainer-based and project-based models. Contact me for a consultation where we'll discuss your needs and I'll provide a customized proposal that aligns with your budget.

Engagement duration varies based on your needs. Some clients require 3-6 months of intensive support during a product launch or fundraising round. Others maintain ongoing advisory relationships for years, with engagement levels adjusting as the company evolves. There are no long-term contracts required—we work month-to-month with the flexibility to increase, decrease, or conclude the engagement as your situation changes.

Consider a fractional CTO when technology decisions are becoming critical to business success but you lack senior technical leadership, when you're scaling and need to build or restructure your engineering team, when preparing for investor due diligence, when your current technical leadership needs mentoring, or when you need interim coverage during a CTO transition. The right time is when technology strategy matters but a full-time hire doesn't yet make sense.

A fractional CTO serves as an embedded member of your leadership team with ongoing accountability, while consultants typically deliver recommendations and leave. I participate in team meetings, make hiring decisions, own technical strategy, and am invested in long-term outcomes. Unlike consultants who observe and advise, I execute alongside your team, mentor your technical leads, and take responsibility for results—functioning as your actual CTO, just on a fractional basis.

Clients typically see improved engineering team productivity, clearer technology roadmaps aligned with business goals, better hiring outcomes and stronger technical culture, reduced technical debt and architectural improvements, successful product launches, and stronger positioning for fundraising or acquisition. Specific outcomes depend on your starting point and goals, but the common thread is accelerated progress on technology initiatives with senior-level strategic guidance.

Yes, team building is a core part of my CTO as a Service offering. I help define role requirements, design team structures, participate in technical interviews, evaluate candidates, and onboard new hires. I also mentor existing technical leads and help establish engineering culture, processes, and best practices that attract and retain top talent.

I maintain dedicated time blocks for each client, ensuring consistent availability during agreed-upon hours. For urgent matters, I'm accessible via direct communication channels. Unlike consultants juggling dozens of clients, I limit my fractional engagements to ensure each client receives focused attention. My commitment is to be a reliable member of your leadership team, not a distant advisor who's hard to reach when you need guidance.

The process begins with a free consultation call where we discuss your business, technology challenges, and goals. I'll ask questions about your team, current technical state, and what success looks like. Following this, I provide a proposal outlining recommended engagement scope, expected deliverables, and investment. Once aligned, onboarding typically takes 1-2 weeks, including team introductions, system access, and initial assessments.