How is a Fractional CTO different from a Technical Advisor?

A Fractional CTO takes operational responsibility - they make decisions, lead teams, and are accountable for outcomes. Technical Advisors provide guidance and recommendations but don't have execution authority.

Should a Fractional CTO write code?

Generally no, unless in very early-stage companies. Fractional CTOs should focus on leverage - strategy, architecture decisions, and team enablement. If you're writing significant code, you're likely not operating at the right level.

Role Guide

Fractional CTO Responsibilities

Understand the key responsibilities and deliverables of a Fractional Chief Technology Officer across different engagement types.

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A Fractional CTO's responsibilities vary based on company stage, existing team, and strategic priorities. This guide outlines the core duties and how they adapt to different contexts.

Fractional CTOs typically focus on:

Technology Strategy: Defining technical vision and roadmap aligned with business goals
Architecture Decisions: Making key technical choices on stack, infrastructure, and scalability
Team Leadership: Building, mentoring, and managing engineering teams
Vendor Management: Evaluating and managing technology vendors and partners
Technical Due Diligence: Supporting fundraising and M&A with technical assessment
Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating technical debt and security risks

Pre-Product (Seed): Focus on MVP architecture, build vs buy decisions, and establishing development processes.

Product-Market Fit (Series A): Focus on scaling architecture, building engineering culture, and technical hiring.

Scale (Series B+): Focus on platform evolution, team structure, technical governance, and board-level reporting.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Initial focus should include: technical assessment of current state, understanding business priorities, meeting key stakeholders, identifying quick wins, and developing a 90-day roadmap. Avoid making major changes until you understand the full context.