A fractional CTO is a senior technology leader who works with you part-time, sometimes called CTO as a service. You get the judgment of a chief technology officer without the full-time salary and equity.
What a fractional CTO does
- Sets technical direction and system architecture
- Reviews or leads hiring of engineers
- Runs technical due diligence for fundraising or acquisitions
- Makes the cost and build-vs-buy decisions that protect your runway
When it makes sense
- You're a non-technical founder shipping a first product
- You have developers but nobody owning the big technical decisions
- You need CTO-level credibility for investors, part-time
- A full-time CTO is too expensive or too early
Not sure whether you need a fractional CTO, a full-time hire, or an agency? We break down the trade-offs in our comparison guide, and you can talk it through with us on a free call.