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When to hire, what to expect, and how fractional CTOs accelerate startup success
Most startups can't afford or don't need a £250k+ full-time CTO, but they desperately need senior technical leadership. Fractional CTOs provide CTO-level expertise at startup-friendly prices (£42k-£80k/year for 1-2 days/week), helping non-technical founders build products, prepare for fundraising, and scale engineering teams.
Scenario: You're a non-technical founder with an idea. You need to build your first product.
What Fractional CTO Does: Define technical approach, evaluate development agencies, choose tech stack, oversee MVP development, make build vs buy decisions.
Engagement: 1 day/week for 6-12 months (£850-£1,600/week)
Scenario: You're raising £500k-£2M. Investors want to speak with your technical leader.
What Fractional CTO Does: Provide technical credibility, handle investor technical DD, articulate technology strategy, validate technical approach, represent technology in pitch.
Engagement: 1-2 days/week for 6 months around fundraise (£3,500-£6,500/month)
Scenario: You've raised seed funding. You're growing from 3 to 10 engineers and need senior technical leadership.
What Fractional CTO Does: Hire senior engineers, establish development processes, set architecture direction, build engineering culture, mentor tech leads.
Engagement: 2 days/week ongoing (£7k-£13k/month)
Scenario: You're preparing Series A (£5M-£15M raise). Need to demonstrate technical maturity and readiness to scale.
What Fractional CTO Does: Architect for scale, establish team structure, implement monitoring/observability, prepare technical DD materials, hire engineering leaders.
Engagement: 2-3 days/week for 12+ months (£10k-£19k/month)
Startup-friendly pricing and engagement models:
£850-£1,600/week (£42k-£80k/year)
Best for: MVP development oversight, strategic guidance, investor prep
£1,700-£3,200/week (£85k-£160k/year)
Best for: Active engineering leadership, team scaling, architecture decisions
£10k-£20k fixed fee for 3 months
Best for: Testing fit before committing to longer engagement. Many fractional CTOs offer pilots to reduce startup risk.
For detailed cost breakdown, see: Fractional CTO Cost Guide.
| Factor | Fractional CTO | Full-Time CTO |
|---|---|---|
| Cost (Annual) | £42k-£160k | £250k-£350k+ (salary + equity + benefits) |
| Experience Level | 15-20+ years (senior) | 8-15 years (what you can afford) |
| Time to Start | 1-2 weeks | 3-6 months to hire |
| Flexibility | Scale 1-3 days as needed | Fixed 5 days/week |
| Risk | Low - 30-60 day notice | High - 6+ months to replace if wrong hire |
| Best Stage | Pre-product through Series A | Post Series A, 25+ engineers |
| Runway Impact | Minimal - extend runway by months | Significant - burn £20k-£30k/month |
If you're a non-technical founder, a fractional CTO is often essential. Here's what they do for you:
If you're pre-revenue with just an idea and no funding, start with a technical co-founder or experienced contractor. Fractional CTO makes sense once you have some budget (£20k+ raised) and are ready to build.
With only 1-2 contractors, you need a Tech Lead (£80k-£120k full-time or senior contractor), not a CTO. Hire fractional CTO when you're scaling to 5+ engineers.
If you're post-Series B with 25+ engineers and significant technical complexity, you likely need full-time CTO for daily leadership and operational management.
For more guidance, see: Complete Fractional CTO Guide and What is a Fractional CTO?
Find pre-vetted fractional CTOs with startup experience.