You don't need a full-time CTO. You need the right one, part-time.
For non-technical founders building US startups: hire a former CTO as your fractional tech partner. Strategy, architecture, developer oversight, and hands-on development — without the full-time salary or the equity hit. Most fractional CTOs stopped coding years ago. I didn't. You get strategy and a pair of hands that ships.
$40/hr · Former CTO · Toptal Top 3% · 5 free hours · 13+ years shipping production software
What a fractional CTO actually does
Four areas where a senior technical partner changes the trajectory of an early-stage startup — and where non-technical founders lose the most money when they guess.
Tech Stack Decisions
Pick the stack that fits your business model, your hiring plan, and your budget — not the flavor of the month. I'll tell you when boring tech wins and when a bet on a newer tool actually pays off.
Architecture Reviews
Catch the expensive mistakes before they ship. Multi-tenancy, auth, data models, scaling limits, security holes — I review what your devs have built and tell you where the timebombs are.
Hands-on Development
When your devs are stuck or slow, I pick up the ticket and ship it myself. Features, bug fixes, performance — I write production code every week, not just review it.
Developer Oversight
Most non-technical founders can't tell if their developer is shipping well or stalling. I review code, sit in on standups, and give you an honest read on velocity, quality, and whether you're being managed or led.
Roadmap Planning
Translate business goals into a build sequence that survives contact with reality. I help you decide what to build next, what to kill, and how to sequence features so you ship value every sprint.
Your advisor and your builder, in one hire
Hiring technical help usually means picking one of two lanes: a strategist who advises but can't ship, or a developer who ships but doesn't see the big picture. I do both — every week. The strategic calls (stack, architecture, roadmap, team) come from the same brain writing the code for your hardest features. One hire, one context, no translation layer between strategy and execution.
The Advisor in me
- Architecture and tech stack decisions
- Roadmap and feature sequencing
- Developer oversight, 1:1s, and hiring help
- Security, scale, and performance planning
- Long-term technical vision
The Builder in me
- Ships production features end-to-end
- Unblocks your devs mid-sprint
- Fixes performance bugs and technical debt
- Builds the hard part of integrations
- Reviews PRs and opens them
Most founders burn cycles hiring a strategist, then a developer, then coordinating between them. One person doing both roles means one context, one Slack thread, one set of decisions that actually match what gets built.
Fractional CTO and full-stack developer
One person. Both jobs.
Most “fractional CTOs” on the market stopped writing code years ago. I didn't. I still ship production features every week for the clients I advise — which means when your team hits a wall, I don't hand you a doc. I open a PR.
I spent 4+ years as Executive Director of IT at Jacana Warranty — hiring, firing, building the tech from zero, and reporting to the CEO. So I know the strategist's chair. I also never left the builder's chair.
13+ years shipping production software across B2B SaaS, fintech, and warranty platforms. I know what breaks at 100 users, at 10K, and at 100K — because I've written the code that had to survive it.
Shipping production software
Not just a dev — I've led teams
Vetted by the top freelance network
Still a working full-stack developer
This is NOT for you if…
I'd rather turn down a bad-fit engagement than take your money and disappoint you. Read these honestly — if any sound like you, we're probably not a match, and I'll tell you that on the first call anyway.
You're building a weekend side project
If there's no real business model and no plan to have paying users, you don't need a fractional CTO. You need a weekend and a laptop. Come back when there's revenue on the line.
You're looking for a technical co-founder
Co-founders take equity, take risk, and build the company with you for years. I'm a paid advisor and builder, not a co-founder. If you need someone with skin in the game, that's a different search.
You want someone to do everything without you involved
The best fractional CTO engagements are collaborations. I need you in the room for strategic decisions, user research, and prioritization. If you want to disappear and come back to a finished product, we're not a fit.
You expect a tech fix for a non-tech problem
No CTO can fix weak positioning, a bad market, or a product nobody wants. If your issue is reach, sales, or product-market fit, the answer isn't more engineering. Be honest with yourself about what's actually broken.
5 free hours → then pick the model that fits
Every engagement opens with 5 hours of real work — an architecture review, team assessment, or strategy session. No sales pitch, no “discovery call” disguised as consulting. You get value on day one. If we both want to continue, we pick a model.
Steady cadence, predictable cost
$200–$1,200/week depending on hours
- Flexible weekly commitment — up to 30 hours
- Weekly strategy call + async Slack/email
- Architecture reviews and hands-on development when needed
- Developer 1:1s and code reviews
- Ship features, fix bugs, unblock your team
- Roadmap planning, quarterly reviews
- Best for: ongoing technical partnership + build capacity
Fixed scope, fixed price
Fixed total quoted upfront — typically starting at $4,000
- Defined deliverable (architecture doc, tech audit, team assessment)
- Or: fixed-scope build sprints (feature delivery, refactors, integrations)
- Fixed timeline — usually 8 - 12 weeks
- Fixed price quoted upfront
- Written report and recommendations
- Optional follow-up retainer
- Best for: specific one-time questions
Not sure which model fits? Book the strategy call. In 30 minutes I'll know whether your problem is recurring (retainer) or one-time (project), and I'll tell you straight — including when you don't need me at all.
Questions founders ask before they hire fractional
Straight answers — no pitch, no fine print.
Let's Build Your Technical Foundation
Book a free call. 30 minutes. Tell me where you are, what's stuck, and what you're trying to reach. I'll tell you whether a fractional CTO is the right answer — and if it is, how the first 5 free hours would be spent.
Risk-Free Start
In 30 minutes, I'll review your SaaS idea, suggest the right architecture, and give you a realistic timeline.
Free Strategy Call
First SaaS strategy call completely free. Discuss your idea, get architecture advice, no commitment.
Free Work Sample
Up to 5 hours of actual work at no cost. See my process and quality firsthand.
Why I offer this: Building a SaaS is a big decision. This lets you experience my problem-solving approach, communication style, and technical expertise before you commit.