Fractional CTO Services
Executive engineering leadership, scoped to your stage. Growth-stage companies need senior technology judgment - on strategy, AI adoption, architecture, hiring, and board reporting - long before they can support a full-time C-suite comp package. A fractional CTO closes that gap without the salary, equity, and onboarding cost of a permanent hire.
I bring 20 years writing software, 15 years leading engineers, and operational fluency with the modern AI-native SDLC - Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, AWS Kiro, OpenAI Codex, and frontier open-weight models. I have built and scaled engineering organizations from 10 to 60 (and well beyond when the business demanded it), shipped 99.95% SLA platforms in regulated industries, and presented architecture and investment cases directly to PE advisors and the C-suite.
Whether you need an interim leader during a transition, a strategic partner for an AI or modernization push, or a long-term fractional anchor for engineering accountability - the engagement is scoped to your outcome, with a clear definition of done.
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Top-Tier Leadership Without the Full-Time Bill
Executive Expertise, Right-Sized Cost
Get the strategic judgment of a senior CTO without the salary, equity, bonus, and benefits load of a full-time hire. Engagements scoped to your actual demand - not padded to fill a calendar.
Scalable, On-Demand Engagement
Ramp leadership up or down as the business evolves. Heavier presence during a transformation push or fundraising sprint, lighter cadence during steady-state delivery. Flexibility a permanent hire cannot offer.
Outside Perspective, Real Results
Unburdened by internal politics, legacy decisions, or sunk-cost loyalty - I name what is working and what is not, then drive the change. Fresh judgment, calibrated against current AI and platform reality.
When to Engage a Fractional CTO
Three patterns where a fractional engagement consistently delivers more value than a permanent hire - or a vacuum.
Rapid Growth & Scaling
10-to-30 and 30-to-50 engineering build-outs without breaking culture. Org design, hiring loops, leveling, and engineering operating cadence - set up so the next growth phase does not collapse under its own weight.
Leadership Transition or Interim
Continuity when a CTO or VP of Engineering departs. I keep delivery on track, stabilize the team, define the role spec for the permanent hire, and run a clean handoff - so the search becomes deliberate, not desperate.
AI, Modernization, or M&A Pivot
A strategic initiative the existing team cannot execute alone - AI-native SDLC adoption, platform modernization, post-merger integration, or fundraising prep. Senior bandwidth on the lift without permanently inflating the comp structure.
What I Deliver as Your Fractional CTO
- Technology strategy tied to business outcomes
Roadmaps grounded in revenue, cost, and risk - not framework preference. Every architectural decision traceable to the deal thesis or growth plan.
- AI roadmap and agentic SDLC adoption
Multi-model strategy across Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, AWS Kiro, OpenAI Codex, Gemini, Bolt, and Lovable. Production agentic AI - not pilot theater - with governance, FinOps, and reliability SLOs baked in.
- Architecture and cloud modernization direction
.NET 8 and AWS-native rebuilds, 99.95% SLA designs for 10k+ concurrent users, legacy monolith decomposition. HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HL7/FHIR, and Epic EMR integration patterns - shipped, not promised.
- Engineering org design, hiring, and mentoring
Right-sized teams across onshore, nearshore, and offshore. Player-coach mentoring of staff and principal engineers. Leveling, performance, and operating cadence that hold under growth.
- Board, PE, and investor-ready reporting
Architecture and investment cases presented directly to PE advisors and the C-suite. Engineering metrics that survive board scrutiny - deploy frequency, MTTR, SLA attainment, FinOps - not vanity dashboards.
- M&A technology diligence and integration
Pre-deal diligence, post-merger integration plans, portfolio rationalization at platform scale. Honest reads on what the acquired stack can absorb and what it cannot.
How a Fractional Engagement Runs
- 1. Discovery and goal-setting
We define measurable outcomes - not "improve engineering," but concrete targets like "ship the AI-native SDLC in 90 days" or "stabilize the org through the CTO search." Goals tie directly to the business plan.
- 2. Embed and assess
In the first two weeks I run an org, codebase, and architecture audit - listening more than prescribing. The output is a prioritized plan of what to fix, what to invest in, and what to leave alone.
- 3. Execute and mentor
Drive the priorities directly - architecture decisions, hiring, AI rollout, board reporting - while mentoring existing leaders. Knowledge transfer is intentional, not accidental. Internal capacity grows.
- 4. Hand-off or continue
Either a clean transition to a permanent CTO or VPE hire, or an evolved scope as the business need changes. End-state defined up front, not improvised.
Industries & Stages I Serve
Strongest fit is growth-stage companies under 250 people with engineering teams of 10 to 60 - the inflection point where engineering becomes a strategic asset, not a cost center.
Growth-Stage SaaS
Series A through C SaaS scaling engineering from 10 to 60. Org design, AI-native SDLC, and architecture decisions that hold through the next funding round.
PE-Backed Portfolio
Portfolio companies needing engineering accountability tied to the deal thesis. Board-ready reporting, post-merger integration, and platform rationalization.
Healthcare & Regulated
Healthcare, MedTech, EdTech, and regulated B2B SaaS. HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HL7/FHIR, PCI, and Epic EMR integration shipped in production.
Companies Pivoting to AI
Organizations moving from AI experiments to production agentic AI. Multi-model strategy, governance, FinOps, and reliability SLOs - not demos.
Let's Start the Conversation
If a fractional CTO engagement is the right fit for your stage, let's talk through the outcome you need and the shape of the engagement that gets you there.
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