A full-time CTO costs $200k+ per year and takes 6 months to hire. A Fractional CTO starts at $2,200/month and can start this week. Here's how to decide.
A full-time CTO becomes the right choice when: (1) you have 5+ engineers who need daily management, (2) your technology is your core IP and requires constant strategic attention, (3) you've raised Series A or beyond and can afford the salary without damaging runway, and (4) you need someone who can be in the office or building culture across an engineering organisation. Until those conditions are met, a Fractional CTO provides the same strategic value at a fraction of the cost.
For many startups, yes — up to Series A or even beyond. A Fractional CTO provides all the strategic and technical leadership an early-stage startup needs without the overhead. The main limitation is capacity for day-to-day team management at scale. If you have 10+ engineers, you may need full-time technical leadership. But many startups successfully use Fractional CTOs indefinitely alongside a strong engineering team.
Advisors give occasional input — a call a month, an intro here and there. A Fractional CTO is actively embedded: weekly syncs, making architectural decisions, attending board meetings, mentoring your team, and being accountable for technology outcomes. The Fractional CTO is a team member with defined responsibilities, not an advisor with vague commitments.
Technology strategy and roadmapping, architecture design and review, engineering team hiring support and mentoring, investor due diligence and board presentations, vendor/tool evaluation, code quality oversight, and weekly strategic syncs. All for $2,200/month starting — with flexible commitment levels.
No equity. No 6-month search. Start this week.
