A CTO for the decisions, a retainer for the cash flow
CTO Advisory at $4,500 a month or full Fractional CTO at $8,500 a month. Weekly calls, architecture reviews, hiring help. 14-day money-back.
Who this is for
Founder at any stage who has no CTO and no technical cofounder.
The pain today
- Every technical decision lands on the founder's desk.
- No one to escalate to on architecture, hiring, or vendor choices.
- Investors ask about the technical lead with no answer.
- Full-time CTO is a 4-6 month hire and a $300K+ cost.
The outcome you get
- Weekly strategy calls on the decisions that matter most.
- A named technical lead referenced in deck and site.
- Hiring help for the first senior engineer or permanent CTO.
- Month-to-month terms, cancel anytime.
The no-CTO trap
Founders without a CTO hit a recurring trap. Every technical decision requires research the founder does not have time for. Every vendor pitch gets evaluated without a technical baseline. Every engineering hire is a high-stakes interview the founder cannot fully run. The decisions compound: wrong stack, wrong hire, wrong vendor, each costing 6-18 months to unwind. CTO Advisory at $4,500 a month solves the decision load. Weekly strategy calls plus async cover, hiring help, vendor review. The retainer typically pays for itself on the first big decision it prevents going wrong.
What Advisory covers vs full Fractional
Advisory at $4,500/mo: weekly strategy call, async Slack or email, 4-6 focused hours a week. Covers decisions, hiring, vendor review. Full Fractional at $8,500/mo: 15-20 hours a week, hands-on architecture, day-to-day engineering management, board-ready briefings. Advisory fits most idea-stage, pre-seed, and bootstrapped founders. Full Fractional fits seed-stage, Series A, and interim CTO engagements. Most founders start on Advisory and upgrade if the workload justifies it.
Upgrade path when you close a round
Advisory often upgrades to full Fractional when a round closes. The round brings runway for a full-time CTO in 4-6 months, and full Fractional covers the gap. The full tier runs alongside the CTO search and hands over when the permanent leader lands. The transition is clean because the Fractional CTO has documented the architecture, the team, and the strategy. The permanent CTO inherits a system, not chaos.
Hiring a permanent CTO eventually
Most founders eventually hire a permanent CTO. I help with the hiring process: writing the JD, sourcing candidates from my network, running technical panels, closing the offer. The search typically runs 4-6 months. I help design the transition plan so the permanent CTO arrives to a documented system. Some founders hire a permanent CTO at Series A, some at Series B, some at $10M ARR. The right timing depends on the company.
Recent proof
A comparable engagement, delivered and documented.
Built and shipped an investor-ready MVP from scratch
Built the entire technological base and delivered MVP in just 3 weeks, enabling a successful rapid launch and investor demo.
Frequently asked questions
The questions prospects ask before they book.
- Can you be a permanent CTO?
- No. I am a solo practice. Fractional and Advisory are bridge roles, not permanent chairs.
- How fast can you start?
- One to two weeks from signed agreement to first strategy call.
- Will you take equity?
- No. Fee-only. Keeps the relationship clean.
- Can you help me decide when to hire a permanent CTO?
- Yes. Part of the Advisory is calling the right moment to make that hire. For most founders it is Series A or the first $5M ARR.
- What if Advisory is not enough?
- Upgrade to full Fractional at $8,500/mo anytime. Or pair Advisory with an Applications retainer for hands-on engineering hours.
Ready to start?
Tell me what you need in 60 seconds. Tailored proposal in your inbox within 6 hours.