Hire a Fractional CTO, Solve Your Tech Problems

A fractional CTO is exactly what it sounds like: a Chief Technology Officer who works with your company part-time. Instead of a full-time executive you can’t afford or don’t need yet, you get experienced tech leadership for a fraction of the hours - and a fraction of the cost.

This is different from an interim CTO. An interim CTO is full-time but temporary - you bring them in to fill a gap while you search for a permanent hire. A fractional CTO is an ongoing relationship at fewer hours. You’re not waiting for someone better. You’re getting exactly the level of involvement that makes sense for your stage.

I’ve had this conversation hundreds of times. A founder calls me, convinced they need to hire a CTO yesterday. Thirty minutes later, we’ve figured out they actually need someone 1-2 days a week - senior leadership at a price that makes sense for their stage.

Here’s the thing: at seed stage - or even later ! - there often isn’t 40 hours of CTO work to do. You need someone to set architecture, make the right hiring decisions, and be there when things break. That’s maybe 10-15 hours a week.

A fractional CTO gives you experienced leadership without burning runway on a full-time executive you don’t need yet.

What you get from me:

• AI transformation experience
• Bestselling author of “Amazing CTO”
• 25+ years of engineering management
• 3x startup founder (one exit)
• VC & PE experience
• Tech Due Diligence experience - both as a buyer and a seller

You don’t need a EUR 200k CTO. You need the right CTO for right now.

When You Need a Fractional CTO

You’re a non-technical founder building a tech company. You’ve maybe been burned by a dev shop before. You can’t evaluate whether your developers are making good decisions or padding estimates. You need someone in your corner who speaks both business and technology.

Your company is growing faster than your tech team can handle. Investors are asking questions about technical strategy. The code your team wrote at 5 people doesn’t work at 15. You need someone who’s scaled engineering teams before - but you’re not ready for a EUR 200k hire.

You’re preparing for due diligence. Series A, Series B, acquisition - someone’s going to look under the hood. You need an experienced CTO to help you get ready, identify red flags, and be credible in the room.

Your tech lead is great but not ready to be CTO. They know the code, but they don’t know how to build a team, manage up to the board, or think strategically. You need someone to bridge the gap while they grow.

Schedule a Welcome Call

Book your free 30-minute discovery call below. Let's talk honestly about your challenges and whether coaching is the right next step for you.

Current availability: Booking 2-3 weeks out for new coaching engagements

How Fractional CTO Works

• Most engagements begin at 1 day per week. That’s enough for strategic guidance, architecture decisions, and being available when things break.
• Crunch time before launch? Due diligence coming up? We can flex to 2-3 days a week when you need more hands-on involvement.
• I’m not here to make myself indispensable. The goal is either to grow your internal leadership until you don’t need me, or to help you hire a full-time CTO when you’re ready.

What I Do as Your Fractional CTO

Technology Strategy

Architecture decisions, build vs. buy, technology roadmap. I’ve made these decisions dozens of times - you get the benefit of pattern recognition.

Hiring & Team Building

First engineering hires are critical. I help you define roles, evaluate candidates, and avoid the expensive mistakes that set teams back months.

Developer Productivity

Why is shipping taking so long? I can diagnose the bottlenecks - usually it’s not what founders think. Sometimes it’s technical debt. Often it’s organizational.

Due Diligence Preparation

I’ve been on both sides of technical due diligence. I know what investors and acquirers look for, and I can help you present your technology story credibly.

Vendor Management

Using an agency or outsourced team? I’ll make sure they’re not taking advantage of you. I speak their language and know the games.

Board & Investor Communication

Translating tech to business. Explaining why that feature will take three months. Making the case for technical investment.

Why Me

I do only two fractional CTO engagements per year. This means I can give you my full attention and focus on your company. If you have something very interesting, let’s talk.

I’ve been building software since the 1980s. I was doing internet startups when most people didn’t have internet. I became a certified Scrum Master in 2007 when most people didn’t know what Scrum was. I’ve scaled teams, sold companies, lived through due diligence and made most of the mistakes you’re about to make - and learned from them so you don’t need to. I wrote the bestselling book on CTOs, “Amazing CTO”.

More importantly: I’ve coached 80+ CTOs. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t across dozens of companies. When you hire me as your fractional CTO, you’re not getting just my experience - you’re getting the distilled patterns from every company I’ve worked with.

I’m based in Germany but work with companies across Europe and globally. Most of my fractional CTO engagements are remote with occasional on-site visits.

What I’m not:

• A dev shop that will upsell you on development hours
• A consultant who writes reports and disappears
• Someone who needs three months to “understand your business”

I’m an operator. I’ve been the CTO. I know what the job actually is.

Fractional CTO vs. Other Options

Still not sure? Read my guide on Interim vs Fractional vs Outsourced CTO to figure out what you actually need.

Or just book a call. In 30 minutes I can usually tell you what makes sense for your situation - even if the answer is “you don’t need me.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a fractional CTO cost?

Less than an experienced full-time CTO salary, less than an inexperienced CTO per month, but more than an inexperienced CTO per hour.

What’s the difference between a fractional CTO and CTO coaching?

A fractional CTO does the work alongside you - making architecture decisions, interviewing candidates, talking to investors. A CTO coach helps you or your tech lead develop the skills to do it yourself. Many companies need coaching; some need an actual CTO. I do both.

Can a fractional CTO become full-time?

It happens. I’ve transitioned from fractional to full-time CTO for the right company. Think of it as a long, productive interview - you get to see how I work before committing, and I get to see if the company is somewhere I want to invest my time.

How quickly can you start?

Usually within a week or two. One of the advantages of fractional work - you don’t need a 3-month recruiting process.

Do you work with companies outside Germany?

Yes. Most of my work is remote. I have clients across Europe and in the US. For fractional CTO engagements, I’m happy to travel for key meetings, workshops, or on-sites.

What size companies do you work with?

Typically startups and scale-ups with 2-50 developers. That’s the stage where a fractional CTO makes the most sense - you need strategic leadership but don’t have 40 hours of executive work to fill.

You’ve been telling yourself you’ll figure out the tech strategy once you find the right person. But the recruiting process takes months. And the wrong hire costs you a year.

A fractional CTO gives you senior leadership now - without the commitment of a full-time executive you might not need yet.

30 minutes. No pitch, just a conversation about what you’re facing. I’ll tell you honestly whether a fractional CTO makes sense - even if the answer is “not me.”

Book a Call