Exec-level cover while you find the permanent CTO
Fractional CTO at $8,500 a month. Architecture reviews, hiring the permanent CTO, managing the transition. 16 years, $1B+ unicorn experience.
Who this is for
Scaleup CEO or COO whose CTO just left or stepped into a co-founder role.
The pain today
- 50-200 engineers adrift without a technical voice at the exec table.
- The board is asking about technical strategy with no current answer.
- A permanent CTO search takes 4-6 months and the team cannot wait.
- The VP Eng is strong operationally but not ready for the board seat.
The outcome you get
- Interim CTO coverage at the exec table within two weeks.
- Stabilization of the engineering org after the founding CTO's exit.
- An architecture audit with prioritized remediation items.
- A clean handover to the permanent CTO, including onboarding packet.
Interim CTO strategy
When a scaleup CTO exits, the first month is about signal. The team watches for whether leadership takes the gap seriously. An interim CTO at the exec table within two weeks sends the right signal: we have coverage, the strategy does not pause, the board has a technical voice. $8,500 a month is a small price for stability across a 50-200 engineer org. I have stepped into this role and the playbook is consistent: stabilize first, review second, hire third. Each phase takes about 30 days. By month four most engagements are handing over to the permanent CTO.
Stabilizing engineering after a CTO exit
The engineering team's first question after a CTO exit is: what changes now. The answer should be: as little as possible in week one. I do not start my engagement by restructuring. I listen. I meet every engineering manager one-on-one. I read the last three quarters of engineering decisions. I attend the standups. By week three I have a map of the org, the strengths, and the trouble spots. Only then do I propose changes, and they are small, reversible, and endorsed by the VPs before anyone on the floor hears.
Architecture audit playbook
In month two I run an architecture audit. Not a critique, a map. What systems exist, what decisions led to them, what risks are pending, what investments would pay back in 12 months. The output is a 15-20 page document the board can read and the engineering team can execute. I have run this playbook at scale (bolttech's payment service integrated 40+ providers) and the pattern translates down and sideways. The engineering org wants clarity on priorities, not judgment on past decisions.
Hiring a permanent CTO in 4-6 months
The permanent CTO search runs alongside the interim engagement. I help write the JD, source candidates (my network), screen, run technical panels, and help close. The candidate arrives to a documented architecture, a mapped org, and a 30-day transition plan. The incoming CTO hits the ground running in month six instead of month nine. That difference is typically worth more than the entire interim retainer in velocity alone.
Recent proof
A comparable engagement, delivered and documented.
Unified payment orchestration across Asia and Europe
Delivered the payment orchestration platform at bolttech, a $1B+ unicorn, with 40+ integrations across multiple regions.
Frequently asked questions
The questions prospects ask before they book.
- How fast can you start as interim CTO?
- One to two weeks. Urgent cases (CTO exited this week) can start the following Monday.
- Will you be at board meetings?
- Yes. I attend in the interim CTO seat for the engagement. Non-voting observer.
- Can you manage a VP Engineering?
- Yes. I work through the VP, not around them. Many VP Engs find the interim CTO relationship developmental.
- What if the permanent CTO search takes longer?
- We extend. Month-to-month, cancel anytime. Most interim engagements run 4-8 months.
- Will you take the permanent role?
- No. I am a solo practice. The interim role is a bridge, not a permanent seat.
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