I Work as a Fractional CTO: Here's What It Really Means (and Costs)
"Fractional CTO" sounds like yet another inflated LinkedIn title. I get it. But it's also what I actually do, and concretely it means something simple: I bring a tech director's head into your company part-time, without the cost (and commitment) of hiring one full-time. I'm a management engineer, I've written code for 11+ years, and I've worked on projects for companies like Prada, Sky, Facile.it and Deloitte. What I learned there I put to work for startups and SMEs facing important technical decisions — without an in-house CTO.
TL;DR
- A Fractional CTO is senior tech leadership, part-time and at a sustainable cost.
- You need one when you have to decide (stack, vendors, roadmap), not just execute.
- It covers strategy, architecture, team and risk — not "building the website."
What I actually do, in a typical week
I don't spend my days writing code (good developers usually handle that). I do the things that, if wrong, cost six months:
- Strategy and stack: I pick technologies that fit the goals, not the hype. Avoiding tech debt today beats a thousand refactors tomorrow.
- Architecture: I define how the pieces fit so they survive growth.
- Team and vendors: I hire, coordinate, evaluate agencies and freelancers, and put in processes that prevent chaos.
- Roadmap and risk: what to do, in what order, and what not to do.
My philosophy, always: I don't sell hours of code, I solve specific problems for people who hate waste.
When you need one (and when you don't) — no hypocrisy
| Situation | Need one? |
|---|---|
| Early-stage startup with no tech lead | Yes |
| SME digitizing its processes | Yes |
| You must choose a stack or a vendor | Yes |
| You already have a working full-time CTO | No |
| You just need "someone to write the code" | No — hire a developer |
If you fall in the last two rows, I'll tell you straight: you don't need a Fractional CTO. I'd rather lose a contract than sell something useless.
How much it costs
It depends on the engagement (days per month) and seniority. That's the whole point: you pay a fraction of a full-time CTO, only the time you need, with the freedom to scale up or down. To orient you:
| Option | Cost | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time CTO | High (salary + equity) | Scale-ups with a large tech team |
| Fractional CTO | Medium, per day/month | Startups/SMEs needing flexible leadership |
| Developers only | Variable | When strategy is already clear |
FAQ
How is this different from a one-off consultant?
A consultant gives an opinion and leaves. I take on ongoing responsibility: decisions, team, roadmap. I have skin in the game.
How long do we work together?
From a few months for a specific phase, to an ongoing part-time engagement. Flexibility is the point.
Does it work for a non-tech SME?
Often that's where it's needed most: those without in-house tech skills risk the costliest choices. It's exactly where an expert eye pays off immediately.
If you've got a technical decision ahead and don't know where to start, let's talk or check the services for startups and SMEs.
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