Fractional CTO for founders with early traction
You have a product gaining traction but no one to own the technical vision. I join your team part-time and own it with you.
Without obligation. If I can't help, I'll point you somewhere better.
What a fractional CTO doesWhy founders get in touch
You might recognize one of these.
- Your product is gaining traction, and nobody on the team owns the technical decisions.
- You're about to hire your first engineers, and you can't tell a good one from a confident one.
- An agency or freelancers built the first version, and you're not sure what you have.
- Investors are asking about your technology, and you don't have the answers yet.
What a fractional CTO does
A fractional CTO is part of your team, not an outside advisor. I attend standups, make hiring decisions, and own outcomes, just on a part-time basis.
A full-time CTO is the right hire once the company can carry one. Until then you get the same decisions from someone who has done the job.
What I take on
- Architecture and stack. I make the technical decisions the product will live with: what to build on, and what to keep simple for now.
- Hiring and team. I hire your first engineers with you and set up how the team works, so that it can run without me later.
- Roadmap. I match the technical work to what the business needs next, and I say so when the plan is more than the team can deliver.
- Investors and due diligence. I prepare the technical side of a funding round and answer the investors' questions about your technology.
One to two days a week
For at least three months, and open-ended after that. Each engagement is scoped individually and has its own agreement.
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First call, 15 minutes
You tell me about the product and the team. If I'm not the right person for it, I'll say so.
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The first few weeks
Mostly watching and asking questions. I read the code, sit in your meetings, talk to your team. What looks urgent from the outside usually isn't the actual bottleneck. I want to understand the business and the real constraints before recommending changes. Then we move.
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The weekly rhythm
In your meetings and in your code, on the days that suit your team. You always talk to me.
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Hand-off
The goal is a team that runs without me. We end when you're stronger, usually 6 to 12 months in.
Who joins your team
- Head of Engineering, Flowcarbon. Built and led the engineering org of an a16z-backed climate company. Front-end to back-end to chain.
- Banks, an exchange and global brands. I have delivered software for Deutsche Börse, Landesbank Berlin and Berliner Sparkasse, and for Daimler, HUGO BOSS and Amazon. I know what large organizations expect from software before it goes live.
- Crypto & venture-backed. Pivoted into blockchain, raised venture capital, scaled fast, burned out faster. The expensive lessons happen here.
- Health care under strict rules. Today I build health platforms that have to meet Germany's strict requirements for security and data protection.
“Alex worked as the Head of Engineering at Flowcarbon, known for his technical skills and professionalism. His expertise covered everything from front-end to back-end and blockchain, making him an incredibly versatile asset.”
When I'm not the right fit
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You want an interim hands-on engineer
Not the engagement. speedrun.health is the right door if you're building a digital care platform for the German healthcare system.
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You're 50+ people
You need a more specialised operator at that stage. Happy to refer you to someone in my network.
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You only want to know where your software stands
That's a smaller job. An AI code audit answers it in five working days.
Is a part-time CTO what you need?
Tell me where the product and the team stand, and we'll find out in 15 minutes. If it isn't what you need, I'll say so.
Prefer to write first? hello [at] alexgutjahr.com