Fractional CTO services, scoped in the open.
Most pages about fractional CTO services list responsibilities and hide the price. This one does the opposite. Here is exactly what the engagement includes, how it runs week to week, and what it costs: a $15,000 fixed-scope foundation, then from $5,000 a month.
Four functions. That is the job.
Fractional CTO services from an advisor stop at the strategy memo. Ours run through execution, because the engagement lead is the same person who ships.
Strategy & roadmap
A quarterly technical roadmap that maps to your funding, sales, and hiring milestones. Build-versus-buy calls made with written rationale you can show your board or your bank.
Architecture & vendors
The decisions that are expensive to reverse: database, hosting, auth, observability, AI vendors. We run the proofs of concept and read the contracts before you sign them.
Hands-on builds
Load-bearing systems (auth, payments, data infrastructure, AI integrations) get built or reviewed by the engagement lead directly, not delegated to whoever is cheapest.
Hiring & team
Job descriptions, sourcing, technical interviews, and reference calls. When you outgrow fractional, we run the search for your full-time technical leader and hand off cleanly.
The weekly cadence, in plain terms.
Working session
Not a status meeting. We work the top technical decision of the week with you or your team: architecture review, vendor evaluation, roadmap sequencing, or code walkthrough.
Async availability
Slack or email access with same-day responses on weekdays. When a contractor sends a proposal or a vendor changes pricing, you get a senior read before you reply.
Decision log
Every significant decision gets documented with its rationale. If we part ways, your next technical leader inherits a paper trail instead of tribal knowledge.
Same senior lead. Four ways to engage.
Fractional is the default shape, but the right model depends on your situation. All four are delivered by the same person at the same public pricing floor.
Part-Time CTO
Ongoing senior leadership on a fixed weekly rhythm for SMBs and bootstrapped companies that will not need a full-time hire for years.
part-time-cto.html → gap coverageInterim CTO
Bridge leadership when your CTO leaves or before your first one starts: stabilize the team, keep shipping, and run the search.
interim-cto.html → fully remoteVirtual CTO
CTO as a service, delivered remotely. Same decisions, cadence, and accountability without geography deciding who leads your stack.
virtual-cto.html →Not sure which shape fits? That is literally what the free fit call is for. Describe the situation and we will tell you which model applies, or whether you need something else entirely. For the money question, the fractional CTO cost breakdown has the full numbers.
Public floor. No quote theater.
Plus a $15,000 fixed-scope foundation engagement to start. 90-day minimum, then month-to-month. Full market comparison on the cost page.
- Weekly working sessions with the engagement lead
- Async availability via Slack or email, same-day on weekdays
- You own all code, decision documents, and infrastructure access
- 30-day notice to cancel after the 90-day foundation
What buyers of fractional CTO services ask.
What is included in fractional CTO services?
Four things make up roughly 90 percent of every engagement: a technical strategy and quarterly roadmap tied to business milestones, the expensive architecture and vendor decisions (database, hosting, auth, AI vendors), hands-on code for load-bearing systems like auth and payments, and engineering hiring from job description through reference calls. You also get weekly working sessions and same-day async availability on weekdays.
How many hours a month does a fractional CTO work?
Most of our ongoing engagements run 20 to 40 hours a month. The right number depends on whether you have an engineering team to direct or need hands-on building. We size it on the fit call and adjust it month to month as your needs change.
What deliverables do I actually receive?
The foundation engagement produces an architecture and code-quality assessment in week one and a decision-and-roadmap document in week two. After that, the deliverables are shipped decisions: vendor contracts reviewed and signed, systems built or fixed, engineers hired. You own every document, every line of code, and all infrastructure access.
Do you work with our existing developers or agency?
Yes. Most engagements involve an existing team, contractors, or an agency. We assess what is working in week one and give you a straight answer: keep them with oversight, restructure the relationship, or replace the work. About a third of the time the existing team is fine and just needs senior direction.
What do fractional CTO services cost?
Our pricing is public: a $15,000 fixed-scope 90-day foundation engagement, then an ongoing retainer from $5,000 per month with a 30-day cancellation notice. Market rates for senior fractional CTOs generally run $150 to $350 per hour or $4,000 to $15,000 per month depending on scope. See our fractional CTO cost page for the full breakdown.
Apply for a fit call.
Two business day response. 30 minutes. We will tell you honestly if fractional is the right shape, and refer you out if it is not.
apply --fit-callOr email admin@digitalminerz.com directly.