Advisory
Trusted advisorA senior technologist on call for the decisions that matter.
- Weekly strategy call
- Async architecture and security guidance
- Quarterly technology review
- Access to the full policy and framework library
Engagement models
Right-sized leadership, from advisory to fully embedded.
Two practices, each with a ladder of tiers. The tiers differ by depth of ownership, not a fixed number of hours. Most engagements start where the pain is and move up or down as the work changes.
Fractional CTO
Own the technology function.
For founders and boards who need a senior technology leader accountable for strategy, security, operations, and the room, without a full-time executive hire yet.
Scope of ownership
- Technology strategy and architecture governance
- Security and compliance program ownership
- IT operations and vendor management
- Board, investor, and customer technical communication
- Hiring senior engineering leadership
- Build-versus-buy and technical risk decisions
Strategic
Program builderAdvisory, plus hands-on program building.
- Security and compliance program stood up
- Hiring process and interview design
- Written technology strategy
- Board and investor preparation
- Vendor management
Operational
Operating partnerStrategic, plus active operational involvement.
- Active hiring and interview participation
- IT operations oversight
- Incident response
- Architecture reviews
- 1:1s with senior engineers
Embedded
Acting CTOFull strategic and operational authority as your acting CTO.
- Direct management of engineering leadership
- Technology P&L ownership
- Full strategic and operational authority
- VP of Engineering scope until a full-time hire
Fractional VP of Engineering
Own engineering delivery.
For companies whose product is real and whose team is capable, but where delivery is unpredictable, quality is uneven, or the org needs structure to scale.
Scope of ownership
- Delivery cadence and predictability
- Team health and engineering culture
- Hiring, leveling, and performance management
- Quality standards and code review
- Agile process and engineering metrics
- Cross-functional alignment with product
Process
Playbook deploymentGet proven engineering practices in place, fast.
- Agile, code review, and CI/CD playbooks deployed
- Quality and testing standards
- Weekly sync with the engineering lead
- Monthly delivery assessment
Delivery
Delivery partnerProcess, plus hands-on delivery ownership.
- Sprint planning participation
- Hiring process design
- Performance management framework
- Engineering metrics and team health
Leadership
Team leadershipDelivery, plus direct leadership of the team.
- Direct management of EMs and leads
- Active hiring and pipeline management
- OKR process
- Alignment with product leadership
Embedded
Acting VP of EngineeringThe full role, as your acting VP of Engineering.
- Full team management
- Delivery ownership
- Performance reviews and growth plans
- 1:1s with every engineer
How engagements work
Retainer engagements are structured around outcomes, not timesheets, with a three-month initial commitment, since durable foundations take about 90 days. The opening stretch is the most intensive; once the heavy lifting is done, many engagements step down to a lighter tier for long-term support and continuity, and run month to month for as long as they stay useful. Targeted technical consulting is also available for architecture reviews, security assessments, and specific deliverables.
Not sure which tier is right?
Most people are not, at first. The discovery call is where we figure out the right depth of engagement for where you are.