Hire a
Fractional CPO
Complete guide to finding, vetting, and hiring the perfect fractional Chief Product Officer.
Where to Find Fractional CPOs
Product Communities
Mind the Product, Product School, Lenny's Newsletter community, ProductTank.
LinkedIn Search
Search #FractionalCPO, #ProductLeadership, or "Head of Product" + "Advisor".
Fractional Platforms
Fractional.Quest, Toptal, or product-specific networks.
VC Networks
Ask investors for product leaders from their portfolio companies.
Conference Speakers
Mind the Product, ProductCon, or industry event speakers.
Product Coach Networks
Coaches like Marty Cagan's network or Reforge instructors.
What to Look For
1. 0-1 vs Scale Experience
Have they built products from scratch or scaled existing ones? A CPO who only knows scale won't help you find product-market fit.
Clear examples of stage-appropriate work, measurable outcomes
Only worked at one stage, can't articulate methodology
2. GTM Model Match
Do they understand your go-to-market? PLG is very different from enterprise sales-led. Ensure their experience matches.
Deep experience in your model (PLG, sales-led, hybrid), specific metrics
Only knows one model, dismissive of your approach
3. Technical Depth
Can they earn engineering respect? They don't need to code, but must understand technical trade-offs.
Engineering background, technical discussions, architecture understanding
Can't have technical conversations, engineers don't respect them
4. Discovery & Research
Do they have a methodology for understanding users? Continuous discovery, customer interviews, data analysis.
Clear discovery process, user research examples, data-driven decisions
Opinion-based product decisions, no user research practice
5. Team Building
Have they hired and developed product managers? Built product orgs from scratch?
Hired 5-15 PMs, built career frameworks, mentorship examples
Never managed PMs, only individual contributor
6. Fractional Effectiveness
Can they be impactful in 2 days/week? Clear priorities, async communication, delegation.
2-4 current clients, systems for effectiveness, clear communication
First fractional role, needs full-time presence
The Hiring Process
Brief
Tell us about your needs, company stage, and what you're looking for in a fractional executive.
Match
We curate a shortlist of pre-vetted fractional executives who match your specific requirements.
Meet
Interview your top candidates. We handle scheduling and provide interview frameworks.
Start
Your fractional executive begins within days. We support onboarding and ongoing success.
Brief
Tell us about your needs, company stage, and what you're looking for in a fractional executive.
Match
We curate a shortlist of pre-vetted fractional executives who match your specific requirements.
Meet
Interview your top candidates. We handle scheduling and provide interview frameworks.
Start
Your fractional executive begins within days. We support onboarding and ongoing success.