Fractional CTO leadership for the quarters that decide the next two years.
We embed with your CEO and lead engineers — not your tooling. Architecture calls, hiring strategy, and the technology decisions your team is too inside to evaluate cleanly.
- monthly engagement · executive sync
- architecture and hiring scope
Fractional CTO, in plain terms.
A Fractional CTO engagement gives you a senior technology executive on retainer for a defined slice of the week. We sit in on architecture reviews, vendor calls, and board prep. We do not write tickets, and we do not replace your engineering manager.
Founders reach for this when the technology decisions are now bigger than the team. A wrong vendor pick, a cloud bill out of control, or a hire who looked great on paper can each cost a year. A second senior brain in the room shortens that loop.
Most fractional CTOs come from one stack and one company. We have run AS54098 since 2011 and built infrastructure across healthcare, finance, and high-growth technology. When we recommend a path, we have shipped it ourselves and lived with the on-call pager.
Common triggers for this engagement.
- 01When your last technical co-founder left and the board wants a credible technology voice in the next investor update
- 02When your engineering team is shipping but no one is asking whether the architecture survives the next 10x in users
- 03When you are about to sign a six-figure vendor contract and want a senior operator in the room who has no stake in the outcome
- 04When you are hiring your first VP of Engineering and need someone who can write the scorecard and run the loop
Questions teams ask before signing.
What does a fractional CTO actually do?
We make the technology decisions that compound. That means architecture direction, hiring loops, vendor selection, and translating engineering reality to your board. We do not manage individual engineers or write production code.
How many hours per week is a fractional CTO engagement?
Most of our engagements run 8 to 20 hours per week, plus an embedded slot in your leadership rhythm. We size to the work in front of you, not a marketing tier.
When should a startup hire a fractional CTO versus a full-time one?
Hire fractional when the technology questions are bigger than your team but a full-time CTO would be underutilized or out of budget for the next two quarters. Convert to full-time when the role is genuinely 40 hours of engineering leadership every week.
Do you work with healthcare or fintech startups under compliance pressure?
Yes. We are HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOC-aligned in our own operations, and a large share of our advisory work sits in regulated sectors. We will tell you early if a shortcut is going to cost you in an audit.
Frequently scoped alongside this work.
Fractional COO
Operational leadership for the quarter your business is growing faster than its operating model. We tighten the org, sequence the work, and hand back something your next hire can actually run.
Fractional CIO
IT leadership that thinks past the ticket queue. Vendor decisions, security posture, and the budget your CFO needs to see before next year.
Executive Coaching
One-on-one coaching for technology leaders who don't have a peer in the room. Honest reads, prepared questions, and the perspective the title doesn't come with.
AI Strategy
Where AI fits in your stack, what to build, what to buy, what to skip. The plan a senior engineer would write — scoped honestly against your team's footprint.
Technology Assessments
An outside read on the systems you've been too busy to audit. Risk, fitness, and the three things that should change this quarter — written for the CFO and the engineer.