What this is
A fractional CTO is a senior engineer who takes responsibility for your technical decisions without joining your payroll. CTO as a service suits companies where software matters to the business but does not yet justify a six figure hire. We work a defined number of days per month, we are reachable between them, and we still write code, which is what keeps the advice connected to reality.
What the engagement covers
- Architecture and technology decisions, made and documented rather than debated.
- Hiring: writing the roles, running the technical interviews, telling you who is actually senior.
- Vendor and supplier assessment, including reviewing what your current agency delivers.
- Delivery process, so releases stop being events.
- A written technical plan the board can read, refreshed quarterly.
- Being the person your team can ask before making an expensive mistake.
Who this is for
Scale-ups whose founder has been making technical calls alone for too long. Companies whose only senior engineer has left. Boards that need someone accountable for technology without creating a full time role yet. Not a fit if you want someone to manage a large existing engineering department, which is a different job.
What the engagement actually looks like
Predictable time rather than ad hoc availability, because advice you have to chase is worth very little.
A typical month is two to four days on site or on call, a standing weekly slot with whoever runs delivery, review of anything architectural before it gets built, and a written summary the board can read without translation.
- A named person, not a rotating pool. You get the same engineer every month.
- Decisions written down, so they survive the person who made them.
- Reachable between scheduled days for anything urgent, within reason and within the agreement.
- Quarterly plan refresh, so the direction is reviewed rather than assumed.
What it costs
€3,500 to €6,000 per month depending on days, with a three month minimum. We publish it because the market does not, and because every second enquiry asks.
Three months is the minimum for a reason rather than a sales tactic. The first month is spent understanding the system and the people. Anything shorter and you pay for the learning without getting the benefit.
When a fractional CTO is the wrong answer
We turn this down more often than we take it, usually for one of these reasons.
If any of these describe you, a different engagement will serve you better and we will say which.
- You need someone to manage twenty engineers. That is a full time leadership job and a fractional arrangement will fail at it.
- You want someone to write the code. That is a development engagement, and it is cheaper bought as one.
- Nobody will be able to act on the decisions. Advice without an executor is an expensive newsletter.
- The real problem is one specific technical question. Buy a five day assessment instead and keep the rest of your budget.
Questions we get asked
What does a fractional CTO cost?
€3,500 to €6,000 per month with us, depending on how many days you need, minimum three months. The wider market runs roughly $3,000 to $15,000 a month depending on seniority and location.
How is this different from hiring a consultant?
A consultant advises and leaves. A fractional CTO owns the decisions and is still there when they play out. We are accountable for the direction, not just for the document describing it.
Can you also run our development?
Yes, and it is common. The fractional engagement often runs alongside a development team from us or alongside your own. We are explicit about which hat we are wearing when there is a commercial decision involved.
What if we hire a full time CTO later?
That is usually the point. A good fractional engagement ends with a handover, and we help write the role and interview for it. We have done that more than once.
Do you sign an NDA?
Yes, as standard, before anything is shared.