Fractional CTO for startups
Pre-seed and seed startups need the right technical decisions from day one, but can rarely afford a full-time CTO. A fractional CTO brings that guidance with a commitment and cost that fit an early-stage budget.
Zero to one, without burning runway
In the pre-seed and seed stages every technical choice matters: the wrong stack, an architecture built for a scale that does not exist yet, a rushed technical hire. A fractional CTO brings experience already earned from these mistakes, so you do not repeat them with the limited money from your raise.
MVP: from concept to first release
Taking a product from concept to a first MVP in store takes fast, well-reasoned choices more than technical perfection. As CTO of BRUM Patenti, I took the product from concept to first MVP in store in two months, then iterated continuously listening to real users: today the platform counts 150,000 downloads, a 4.5★ rating, and 50,000 active users a month. That same speed and method is what I bring to a startup starting from zero.
Technical roadmap and first hires
After the MVP comes the trickier part: deciding what to build next and who to hire to build it. I write a 90-day technical roadmap with clear priorities, and lead the first technical hires (job description, screening, interview loop) to avoid a mistake that, on a small team, costs months of delay on top of the money.
Technical due diligence for your next round
When it is time to raise a round, investors want to understand the real state of the technology: technical debt, scalability, risk. I get the startup ready for that conversation and, when needed, sit in on technical due diligence calls to answer VCs directly.
A model built for limited budgets
The engagement is part-time, a day and a half a week, at a fixed monthly fee, with an initial 3-month contract and monthly renewal after: no full-time hiring cost, no equity given up, no long commitment if priorities change. It is how an early-stage startup can afford a senior CTO without unbalancing the budget.
Frequently asked questions
When does a startup need a fractional CTO?
Typically when the founder is not technical and has to make decisions they cannot evaluate alone, or when you need to build the first MVP with solid technical choices from the start, before hiring an in-house team.
How does it work with a limited budget?
The model is part-time and at a fixed monthly fee, not the equivalent of a full-time hire: a day and a half a week, an initial 3-month contract with monthly renewal, no equity given up.
Can a fractional CTO build the MVP alone?
It depends on the project: sometimes it means leading a developer or a small external team, other times it means writing code hands-on to unblock the first release. The goal is shipping something real for users to try, as with BRUM, in store two months after concept.
Do I need one even without a technical team yet?
Yes, that is often the best moment: the decisions made before hiring, stack, architecture, first hire, are the most expensive to change later.
Do you help with technical hiring too?
Yes: job description, screening, interview loop and offer. On a small team, a bad technical hire costs months, not just salary.
How long does an engagement with an early-stage startup last?
On average between 4 and 8 months: the time it takes to bring the product from zero to a solid first version and the team to walk on its own. When I am no longer needed, I step out.