Technical strategy and roadmap
What to build, what to buy, what to retire, in a plan the board can read and the engineers can follow.
Services
Fractional CTO services
A senior CTO for the days a month you need one: technical strategy, hiring, architecture, and delivery that ships. All of the leadership, a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.
For founders without a technical co-founder, businesses whose systems grew past the person running them, and boards that want a straight answer on what the tech team is actually doing.
- Named senior leadership, not a rotating bench
- From one day a month to two days a week, flexing with the stage
- Hands-on: we can read the code, not just the slides
- Rescue work welcome: stuck projects, silent agencies, systems nobody owns
- 25+ years of production delivery, including regulated financial services.
- Production-grade delivery, not prototypes or slide decks.
- Secure-by-default. ISO 27001 advisory capability.
- Direct access to the senior people who do the work. No account managers.
What a fractional CTO takes off your plate
Hiring and team building
Role definitions, interviews that actually test the work, and an engineering culture that keeps the people you hire.
Architecture and code review
An honest read on the systems you have: what is fine, what is fragile, and the order to fix it in.
Delivery rescue
The project that slipped twice, the agency that went quiet. We find the blockage, reset the plan, and get releases moving.
Vendor and agency oversight
Someone on your side of the table who can read the proposals, challenge the estimates, and check what was actually delivered.
Investor and due diligence support
Technical answers investors accept, and systems that stand up to a due diligence review before one is booked.
Leadership that ships
The job is not slideware. A fractional CTO sets direction your engineers can actually follow: what to build next, what to stop building, and who to hire when.
Because we build systems ourselves, the advice is grounded. We can open the repo, read the pipeline, and tell you where the real risk is, then stay accountable while it gets fixed.
- A technical roadmap the board can read
- A hiring plan, and help running the interviews
- An architecture the next engineers will thank you for
Fractional, full-time, or interim?
| Compare | Fractional CTO | Full-time CTO | Interim CTO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commitment | Days per month, ongoing | Permanent | Full-time, fixed term |
| Time to start | Days | Months to recruit | Weeks |
| Cost shape | A fraction of a full-time package | Salary, equity, benefits | Full-time day rate |
| Best when | You need senior direction, not a full-time seat | Technology is the whole company | Covering a gap or a transition |
When you outgrow the fractional model, we help you hire the full-time CTO and hand over properly. That is a success, not a loss.
How it starts
- 01
First call
Thirty minutes on where the technology is helping and where it is hurting. No preparation needed from you.
- 02
Review
A short, honest assessment of systems, team, and delivery. You get the findings in writing, in plain language.
- 03
Cadence
We agree the days per month and the first quarter's priorities, with a number you can budget for.
- 04
Lead
Run the roadmap, unblock delivery, report to the board. Reviewed every quarter; scale up, down, or stop.
Client feedback
What clients say.
“Tech Studio provided a first class technical build and support service for our clients' online design projects.”
“I have been very happy with Tech Studio's services in the last 4 years. All of my problems had been resolved quite promptly and with patience. They have been the best so far.”
“Excellent design ideas, suggestions on content, very quick response times and ongoing support.”
“Very skilled, and willing to help and go the extra mile. Highly recommended.”
Fractional CTO questions
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
A monthly retainer sized by the days you need, agreed up front. It comes to a fraction of a full-time CTO package, with no equity, recruitment fees, or notice-period risk, and you can change the days as the company changes.
How many days a month do we get?
Typically from one day a month for a steady advisory cadence up to two days a week during a build-out or a rescue. We set it by the work in front of us, and review it quarterly.
What is the difference between fractional, interim, and full-time?
Interim is a full-time CTO for a fixed period, usually covering a gap. Fractional is ongoing senior leadership at part-time intensity. Full-time is the permanent seat. Most SMEs need the second one first.
When does a business need a fractional CTO?
The common signals: a founder making technical decisions alone, delivery that keeps slipping, an agency or vendor nobody can challenge, a hire you cannot scope, or an investor asking questions the team cannot answer.
Remote or in the room?
Remote by default, in the room when it matters: board meetings, hiring rounds, and the occasional whiteboard day, by arrangement.
Can you prepare us for technical due diligence?
Yes. We run the review investors will run, fix what would fail it, and stand in the room when they ask their questions.
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Get in touch
Book a call
Thirty minutes on where the technology is helping and where it is hurting. You will leave with two or three things worth fixing, whether or not we work together.