Your company has grown past the point where you can make all the technology decisions yourself. But you're not ready — or don't need — a $250,000/year executive.
You've got technology questions piling up:
- Should we rebuild or replace that aging system?
- Which vendor is actually telling us the truth?
- Is our security adequate?
- What should our technology roadmap look like?
- Are we spending too much on AWS (or not enough)?
Nobody on your team has the expertise to answer these confidently. And the vendors you talk to have obvious conflicts of interest.
This is the gap a fractional CTO fills.
What "fractional" actually means
A fractional CTO is an experienced technology executive who works with your company part-time. They bring the strategic thinking and technical judgment of a senior CTO, but on a schedule (and budget) that fits a growing company.
Typical engagement models:
| Model | Time Commitment | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory | 2-4 hours/month | Occasional strategic questions |
| Part-time | 1-2 days/week | Active technology initiatives |
| Interim | 3-4 days/week | Major transformation or transition |
The key advantage: you get executive-level technology leadership without the executive-level price tag. A fractional CTO working 8 hours a week might cost $4,000-8,000/month — a fraction of the fully-loaded cost of a full-time CTO.
What a fractional CTO actually does
Let's get specific. Here's what a typical week might look like:
Technology strategy and roadmapping
The work: Creating a coherent technology vision that aligns with business goals. Identifying what needs to be built, bought, integrated, or retired. Prioritizing initiatives based on business impact and technical dependencies.
The outcome: A technology roadmap that the leadership team understands and trusts. Clear direction for technology investments.
Architecture decisions
The work: Evaluating technical options for major initiatives. Reviewing proposed solutions from vendors or internal teams. Ensuring systems are designed for scalability, security, and maintainability.
The outcome: Technical decisions that won't need to be undone later. Architecture that supports growth instead of constraining it.
Vendor evaluation and management
The work: Cutting through vendor sales pitches to understand what solutions actually fit. Negotiating contracts. Managing vendor relationships and holding them accountable.
The outcome: Better vendor choices. Stronger negotiating position. Vendors who deliver on promises.
Team guidance
The work: Mentoring technical staff. Helping with hiring decisions. Setting technical standards and practices. Building technical capability within the organization.
The outcome: A stronger internal team. Better hiring decisions. Technical staff who are growing and engaged.
Executive translation
The work: Explaining technical concepts in business terms. Helping non-technical executives understand technology implications. Bridging the gap between technical reality and business expectations.
The outcome: Better-informed business decisions. Fewer miscommunications between technical and business teams.
Security and compliance oversight
The work: Ensuring security practices are adequate for your risk profile. Reviewing compliance requirements. Identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before they become incidents.
The outcome: Reduced security risk. Compliance confidence. Fewer surprises.
A good fractional CTO spends most of their time on strategy and decision-making — not hands-on technical work. If you need someone to write code, you need a developer. If you need someone to make technology decisions, you need a CTO.
Signs you need a fractional CTO
Not every company needs one. Here are the signs that you might:
No technology strategy
You're making technology decisions reactively — responding to immediate needs without a coherent plan. Each decision makes sense in isolation, but together they don't add up to anything strategic.
The symptom: You can't articulate your technology roadmap for the next 12-24 months. Nobody knows what's coming or why.
Repeated project failures
Technology projects keep going off the rails. Over budget. Behind schedule. Delivered but not adopted. You're not sure if the problem is the vendors, the team, or the decisions themselves.
The symptom: You've lost confidence in technology initiatives. The organization is skeptical about new projects.
Vendor confusion
Every vendor you talk to says they're the right choice. You lack the expertise to evaluate their claims. Decisions get made based on sales presentations rather than technical fit.
The symptom: You've made expensive vendor choices that didn't work out. You're not sure how to avoid repeating the mistake.
Security concerns
You know security matters but aren't confident your approach is adequate. You've seen headlines about breaches at companies like yours and wonder if you're next.
The symptom: You can't answer "Are we secure enough?" with confidence. You're hoping nothing bad happens.
Growth is straining systems
What worked at 10 employees is breaking at 30. Systems that were "good enough" are becoming bottlenecks. You're not sure what to fix first or how to scale.
The symptom: Technology problems are limiting growth. Operations are held together with workarounds.
Technical debt is accumulating
Every technical decision seems to make the next one harder. The codebase or infrastructure feels fragile. People are afraid to touch things.
The symptom: Simple changes take forever. Nobody wants to work on the legacy systems.
When you DON'T need a fractional CTO
To be fair, not every situation calls for one:
You have a capable technical leader. If someone on your team can play this role — even if their title is different — you might not need to bring in an outsider.
Your technology needs are simple. If you're running on standard SaaS tools with minimal customization, strategic technology leadership may be overkill.
You need execution, not strategy. If you know what to build and just need people to build it, you need developers — not a CTO.
You're not ready to act. A fractional CTO provides guidance, but you need to be ready to follow through. If recommendations will sit on a shelf, the investment isn't worth it.
What to expect from the engagement
If you do engage a fractional CTO, here's what the relationship typically looks like:
Discovery (first 2-4 weeks)
Activities: Assessment of current technology landscape. Interviews with key stakeholders. Review of systems, processes, and pain points. Understanding of business goals.
Deliverable: A clear picture of where you are and initial recommendations for where to focus.
Roadmapping (weeks 4-8)
Activities: Developing a technology strategy aligned with business goals. Prioritizing initiatives. Creating a realistic timeline. Identifying dependencies and risks.
Deliverable: A technology roadmap that leadership understands and supports.
Ongoing execution support
Activities: Regular check-ins to track progress. Guidance on decisions as they arise. Vendor evaluations. Team development. Adjustments to the roadmap as circumstances change.
Deliverable: Continuous technology leadership without full-time overhead.
Typical investment
Depending on the engagement model and the complexity of your situation:
- Advisory: $2,000-4,000/month
- Part-time: $6,000-12,000/month
- Interim: $15,000-25,000/month
Compare this to a full-time CTO salary (often $200,000-350,000 plus equity and benefits) and the value proposition becomes clear.
How to evaluate if it's working
A fractional CTO should deliver measurable impact. Here's how to know if the engagement is working:
Clear technology direction
Before: Nobody can explain the technology strategy. Decisions feel arbitrary.
After: There's a documented roadmap. Leadership understands and supports the direction. Decisions follow a coherent logic.
Better vendor outcomes
Before: Vendor choices often disappoint. You feel like you got sold.
After: Vendors are evaluated rigorously. Choices align with actual needs. Contracts protect your interests.
Improved project outcomes
Before: Projects regularly go off track. Delivery is unpredictable.
After: Projects are scoped realistically. Progress is visible. Problems are caught early.
Reduced technology risk
Before: Security and compliance are uncertain. You're hoping nothing bad happens.
After: Risks are identified and addressed. You can answer "Are we secure?" with confidence.
Stronger technical team
Before: Technical staff are under-supported. Hiring decisions are guesswork.
After: Team members are growing. Hiring is more intentional. Technical practices are improving.
The best sign that a fractional CTO is working: you make better technology decisions. The value isn't in the advice itself — it's in the outcomes that follow from better decisions.
Questions to ask a potential fractional CTO
If you're evaluating candidates, these questions will help you find the right fit:
"Tell me about a time a client's technology initiative failed. What happened?"
Good answer: They take responsibility for their part and explain what they learned. Bad answer: It's always someone else's fault.
"How do you handle disagreements with client leadership?"
Good answer: They push back respectfully when they believe leadership is making a mistake. Bad answer: They just do whatever the client wants.
"What's your experience with companies our size and industry?"
Good answer: Specific examples of similar engagements with relevant outcomes. Bad answer: Vague generalities that could apply to anyone.
"How do you stay current with technology changes?"
Good answer: They have specific practices for ongoing learning. Bad answer: They've been doing this for 20 years and already know everything.
"What would you need from us to be successful?"
Good answer: Clear expectations about access, decision-making authority, and time. Bad answer: Nothing — they can work in any situation.
The partnership approach
At Entvas, fractional CTO services are part of how we partner with growing businesses. We don't just give advice — we take ownership of technology outcomes.
That means:
- We make recommendations we believe in, not ones designed to generate more work
- We measure success by your business outcomes, not our billable hours
- We build your internal capability, not dependency on us
- We tell you when you don't need us anymore
If you're at the stage where technology leadership would help but a full-time executive doesn't make sense, let's talk. We'll give you an honest assessment of whether a fractional CTO fits your situation — and if not, what might work better.
Technology decisions are too important to get wrong. The right guidance can save you years and fortunes in avoided mistakes.
Entvas Editorial Team
Helping businesses make informed decisions
