Who this is for: Non-technical founders who need technical leadership but don't want to give up equity or hire a full-time CTO.
Non-technical founders face a critical decision: hire a full-time CTO (expensive, long hiring process, equity cost) or find a technical cofounder (equity dilution). Fractional CTO services provide a third option: senior technical leadership on a retainer basis, no equity required, cancel anytime.
When you need technical leadership: you're building your MVP, scaling your product, making architecture decisions, or evaluating technical vendors. A fractional CTO provides the strategic technical guidance you need without the commitment of a full-time hire.
I start with a technical assessment, then provide ongoing advisory on a monthly retainer. You get senior engineering expertise (15+ years) without the €200K+ annual salary. Typical engagement: 24-60 hours per month, focused on strategic decisions, architecture validation, and team mentorship.
Monthly retainers from €5,000/month (24 hours) to €18,000/month (60 hours). No equity required. Cancel anytime after first month.
Situation: A non-technical founder had validated their SaaS idea and raised pre-seed funding. They needed to build the MVP but didn't want to give up equity for a technical cofounder, and couldn't afford a full-time CTO.
Solution: I provided fractional CTO services (40 hours/month) to architect the system, validate technology choices, and guide the development team. The founder retained 100% ownership and launched the MVP in 4 months.
Outcome: MVP launched on time, architecture scaled to 10K users without refactoring, founder closed Series A 6 months later with full technical documentation.
A: Technical cofounders typically require 10-30% equity. Fractional CTO services provide the same level of strategic technical leadership without equity. You pay a monthly retainer (€5K-€18K/month) instead of giving up ownership.
A: Hire a full-time CTO when you need 40+ hours/week of hands-on technical leadership, have consistent technical work, and can afford €200K+/year. Use fractional CTO when you need strategic guidance 20-60 hours/month and want flexibility.
A: Yes. I help define technical roles, create job descriptions, interview candidates, and evaluate technical skills. This is a common part of fractional CTO services for non-technical founders.
A: I can increase the retainer or add project-based work. Most clients start with 24-40 hours/month and adjust based on needs.
Decision trigger: If you're a non-technical founder who has validated your idea and need technical leadership to build or scale, but don't want to give up equity or commit to a full-time hire, this is the point to talk to a fractional CTO.