Fractional CTO
An experienced CTO, without the full-time commitment.
Who is it for?
Companies who:
- need senior leadership but do not yet have the budget or workload for a full-time CTO
- are growing and need to move from MVP to scalable product
- who need strategic advice on how to build an internal dev team and scale it
- startups beginning to put a team together to build our their product
- projects that are taking too long or have started to spiral, and need to get back on track
It is usually best to seek expert advice before heavily investing in a technology stack. I usually advise company owners and management to seek advice early, and make sure you have a strategy that will scale with your business as you grow.
However, I have also joined many projects after they have started and needed help getting on track.
I can help you work through the options, put a strategy together, and oversee the development and implementation phase, with the level of involvement that makes sense for your business.
What is involved?
The level of involvement of a Fractional CTO will vary from project to project, but usually follows a pattern of:
Assess
- current codebase and stack
- join team calls to understand the dynamics and process
Strategise
- prepare a strategy
- review with leadership and team
Implement
- oversee the rollout of the strategy
- manage/hire/review as appropriate
Handover
- oversee hiring for required roles
- prepare documentation and materials necessary for continued growth
Advisory and Support
- regular check-ins for review of progress
- support new hires and leadership
What you can expect?
- Expertise - I can help you avoid mistakes I have made over the years and seen other companies make ~~* Excellent Communication - Having worked on both sides of the business, I help traverse the divide between technology and business
- Documentation - I'll help to document your strategy and help get the whole team on the same page~~
- Best in Practice - I'll review the current team and technology and identify areas to improve
- Cost Analysis - We will review costs and identify areas of bloat and overspending
How long is an engagement?
This depends on the stage of the company and the level of involvement required.
For smaller companies or projects:
- Minimum 1 day per month
- Minimum 3 month engagement
For larger companies or projects:
- Recommend 1.5 - 3 days per week
- Recommend 3-6 months minimum depending on project
FAQs
We start with a quick discovery call to understand what you need, and when.
I'll come back to you post-call with an outline of options available to you, with start dates, and expected fees.
The engagement length can vary depending on the requirements, but I would typically ask for a minimum of 1.5 days per week over a minimum of 3 months.
This is a guideline, more than a rule, but I try to stick to it.
P.S. If I'm not a good fit for what you need, I'll let you know and point to someone else who can help if I can.
Absolutely. My goal is to be a help and add value, and the needs of your business will change over time.
I typically aim to hand-over internally at the end of an engagement, either to a new hire/replacement, or to someone on the team who can handle it with some coaching and training.
It's no problem to continue on a rolling-basis after the initial stage, and if it needs to end, I just ask for a standard notice period.
Usually no. You will need to have a developer or development team in place, or plan to put in place.
If you are interested in development services, see MVP Development.