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Fractional CTO

Make the right technical decisions before they get expensive.

I give founders, leadership teams, and investors the architecture, hiring, and delivery judgment of a seasoned technology executive — a few days a month, not a full-time salary.

// No retainer to start. A 30-minute call to see if it’s a fit.

Who this is for

Most companies don’t fail on effort. They fail on a few expensive technical decisions made too early.

A full-time CTO is a slow, costly bet to make before you’re sure what you need. A fractional CTO gives you that judgment now — sized to your stage.

Founder, non-technical

You can’t tell good engineering from expensive engineering

You’re making six- and seven-figure technology bets on instinct and vendor pitches, with no one in your corner who has built it before.

Between CTOs

Your last technical leader left a gap

Delivery is stalling, the roadmap is fuzzy, and the team needs direction now — not after a six-month executive search.

Investor / acquirer

You’re backing a company you can’t technically vet

The deck looks great. But is the architecture real, the team capable, and the “AI” more than an API call? You need an honest read before you wire the money.

Capabilities

The full surface area of a technology executive — on demand.

This is the work a CTO is accountable for. You can draw on any part of it, in the depth your situation calls for.

CAP-01

Technology strategy & roadmap

Translate business goals into a sequenced, fundable technical plan — and kill the work that doesn’t move the needle.

CAP-02

Architecture & system design

Right-sized systems that scale when you need them to, stay cheap while you don’t, and don’t corner you into a rewrite.

CAP-03

Engineering teams & hiring

Hire your first engineers or fix the ones you have: structure, levels, interview loops, and a culture that ships.

CAP-04

Delivery & execution

Predictable shipping. Planning cadence, scope discipline, and the metrics that tell you the truth about velocity.

CAP-05

Cloud, infra & cost

Reliable infrastructure and DevOps without the cloud bill that quietly eats your runway.

CAP-06

Data & AI strategy

Where AI genuinely earns its place in your product — and where it’s a costly distraction dressed up as a feature.

CAP-07

Security & compliance foundations

The pragmatic controls and posture that pass diligence and don’t scare off enterprise customers.

CAP-08

Technical due diligence

A clear-eyed read on code, architecture, team, and risk — for your own bets or an investor’s.

CAP-09

Build vs. buy & vendor calls

Decide what to build, what to buy, and which vendors are worth the lock-in — before contracts get signed.

Engagement models

Four ways to put me to work.

Each is scoped to a different need and a different slice of my week. The bar shows roughly how much of a full-time role each one represents.

Technical Advisory

ENG-ADV

A senior sounding board on call. We meet regularly; you get unblocked on architecture, hiring, and roadmap decisions between sessions.

allocation~½ day / week

Best fit: Founders who own delivery but want experienced judgment on the big calls.

Embedded / Interim CTO

ENG-EMB

I step in and own the technology function: roadmap, team, delivery, and stakeholders — part-time, with full accountability.

allocation2–3 days / week

Best fit: Companies scaling fast or between CTOs that need a hand on the wheel now.

Architecture & Build Sprint

ENG-SPR

A fixed-scope engagement to set the foundations right: target architecture, technical plan, and a build path your team can execute.

allocation4–8 week sprint

Best fit: Teams at a turning point — a rebuild, a new platform, or a scaling wall.

Technical Due Diligence

ENG-TDD

An independent assessment of code, architecture, team, and risk, delivered as a clear report with a confidence rating and a remediation list.

allocation1–2 week review

Best fit: Investors and acquirers who need the technical truth before a decision.

How I work

Low commitment to start. Real accountability once we begin.

01

Discovery call

A free 30-minute call. You describe the situation; I tell you straight whether I’m the right fit and how I’d approach it.

02

Diagnostic

A short paid assessment of your tech, team, and roadmap — so any recommendation is grounded in reality, not assumptions.

03

Engagement

We agree a clear scope, cadence, and outcomes. Month-to-month, no long lock-in. You can scale me up or down as things change.

04

Handover

Everything is documented and the team is set up to run without me. The goal is a function that stands on its own.

How I think

What you should expect from me, on every engagement.

Plain answers, not jargon

You’ll always understand the trade-off you’re making and why. If you can’t explain a decision to your board, I haven’t done my job.

Decisions tied to the business

Technology is a means, not the point. Every recommendation ladders up to runway, revenue, or risk.

Built to leave

A good fractional CTO makes themselves unnecessary. I build durable systems and capable teams, then step back.

Next step

Tell me where you’re stuck. I’ll tell you straight what I’d do.

A 30-minute discovery call, no obligation. Worst case, you leave with a clearer view of your technical situation than you had this morning.