Technical direction
Architecture choices, sequencing, trade-offs, and a decision record the team can use.
Fractional technical direction
Make the technical decision before it becomes a recovery project.
I work beside founders when architecture, delivery risk, AI scope, or a senior hire can no longer be handled informally. I stay close to the product and code, without forcing a full-time role before the mandate is clear.
Direct answer
I stay close to both the decision and the code.
A fractional CTO provides senior technical leadership for a defined portion of the week or month. The mandate can cover architecture, roadmap choices, delivery health, hiring decisions, due diligence, and critical releases without creating a full-time executive position. My version stays close enough to implementation to test assumptions against the real system, not just advise from a distance.
Related work
One technical problem often crosses several systems.
The capabilities page shows the other ways I can help and the case studies behind them.
When this helps
Useful when momentum is real, but the technical cost of the wrong call is rising.
- You need a technical counterpart before committing to a permanent CTO hire.
- The team is shipping, but architecture, quality, or ownership has started to blur.
- A launch, migration, AI feature, or recovery needs senior hands-on attention now.
- Investors, partners, or buyers are asking for a credible read on technical risk.
- The current team needs clearer decisions and support, not another management layer.
What the work covers
The scope starts with the decisions that are currently slowing the company down.
A first engagement stays deliberately narrow. We agree on the decisions, systems, and people in scope, then choose a working rhythm that matches the urgency and access available.
Delivery review
Roadmap risk, release readiness, ownership gaps, and recovery priorities.
Product and AI systems
Build-versus-buy calls, data flows, safeguards, evaluation, and human review.
Team support
Hiring profiles, technical interviews, mentoring, and clearer engineering ownership.
Ways to work together
Choose the smallest technical-leadership mandate that can change the decision.
These are clear starting points for different levels of senior attention. Start with an audit when the mandate is unclear; move to a monthly engagement when the team needs recurring direction and follow-through.
Technical direction audit
€3,500fixed
A focused review and 90-day direction plan before either side commits to a retainer.
- One material technical decision
- Evidence and risk review
- Prioritised 90-day plan
CTO advisory
€2,500/ month
A senior sounding board for founders who still own day-to-day technical execution.
- Two planned days each month
- Decision notes and follow-up
- Agreed asynchronous response windows
Fractional CTO
€4,800/ month
Recurring technical direction across architecture, roadmap, delivery risk, and the team.
- Approximately four days each month
- Weekly founder and team cadence
- Architecture, delivery, and hiring support
Embedded Fractional CTO
€8,800/ month
Closer operating involvement for a critical release, recovery, transition, or leadership gap.
- Approximately eight days each month
- Delivery and technical leadership cadence
- Hands-on work on the agreed critical path
Good to know
Predictable enough to run; bounded enough to remain senior work.
- Monthly retainers have a three-month minimum and are paid in advance.
- Additional pre-agreed days are €1,250 each.
- Figures exclude VAT, third-party software, API usage, travel, and accommodation.
- The retainer does not include unlimited changes, continuous availability, or 24/7 incident response.
EURAvailable worldwide. All fees are quoted and invoiced in EUR. Your bank or payment provider may convert the amount into your local currency at its current rate.
Compare the options
Use fractional leadership when the decision is senior, urgent, and not yet a full-time role.
| Option | Best when | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Fractional CTO | Senior decisions are needed now, but the full-time role is not yet justified. | Limited time means priorities and access must be explicit. |
| Full-time CTO | Leadership, hiring, culture, and company strategy require continuous ownership. | A slower and more expensive commitment if the role is still unclear. |
| Agency | A defined delivery needs a larger execution team. | The agency may not own internal technical direction. |
| Senior engineer | The direction is clear and the main need is implementation. | Should not be asked to absorb an undefined executive role. |
How the work runs
Start with the decision that keeps coming back.
Frame the mandate
Identify the decisions, risks, deadlines, and people that need support.
Read the system
Review the product, architecture, code, delivery habits, and evidence already available.
Set direction
Write the trade-offs, priorities, owners, and next checkpoints in plain language.
Work with the team
Help deliver the critical path and adjust the direction when evidence changes.
Relevant work
Relevant work across products, launches, and operating systems.
My background includes full-stack product work, the 42 Network student intranet, the launch of 42 Lisboa, AI products, Ethereum contracts, and Bitcoin Ordinals systems. The case studies show the work and public evidence where it exists.
FAQ
Questions before hiring a fractional CTO.
What does fractional CTO support start at?
A focused technical direction audit starts at €3,500. Ongoing advisory starts at €2,500 per month for two planned days, a one-day-per-week Fractional CTO mandate is €4,800 per month, and a two-day-per-week embedded mandate is €8,800 per month. Retainers have a three-month minimum.
Do you write code?
Yes, when hands-on work is the shortest path to a sound decision or critical release. I do not use coding as a substitute for giving the team clear direction and ownership.
Can you help recruit a permanent CTO?
Yes. I can clarify the role, define the technical mandate, review candidates, and prepare a handover. The goal is not to make a fractional arrangement permanent when the company needs a full-time leader.
Is this suitable for a pre-seed startup?
It can be, especially when architecture, product scope, vendor choices, or an early hire could create disproportionate risk. The engagement should remain smaller than the decisions it protects.
What should we prepare for the first call?
Bring the product goal, current team, important deadlines, known risks, and the decision that keeps returning. A polished technical brief is not required.
A defined mandate before a retainer
Bring the decision that is already costing focus, speed, or trust.
I will tell you whether the right next step is fractional leadership, a focused audit, a senior engineer, an agency, or a full-time hire.
Discuss the decision