What Does a Part-Time CTO Do?
A part-time CTO provides the same strategic technology leadership as a full-time CTO, condensed into 1-3 days per week. They're particularly valuable for startups and scale-ups that need senior technical guidance but can't justify the cost of a full-time hire.
Technical Strategy
- Technology roadmap and vision
- Architecture decisions
- Build vs buy evaluation
- Tech stack selection
Engineering Leadership
- Team structure and hiring
- Process and methodology
- Code quality and standards
- Performance management
Product Technology
- Scalability planning
- Security and compliance
- Technical debt management
- Infrastructure strategy
Stakeholder Interface
- Board and investor reporting
- Due diligence support
- Vendor management
- Cross-functional alignment
When to Hire a Part-Time CTO
Non-Technical Founders
You're building a tech product but founders don't have deep technical background.
Scaling Engineering
Team is growing from 3-5 developers to 10-20+ and needs senior leadership structure.
Major Technical Decisions
Facing architecture redesign, platform migration, or significant tech investment.
Investor Expectations
VCs or board want senior tech leadership on the team for credibility and oversight.
Pre-Full-Time Hire
Want to validate the need for a CTO and define the role before permanent hire.
Part-Time CTO Costs
Part-Time vs Full-Time CTO
| Aspect | Part-Time CTO | Full-Time CTO |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | £90,000-£150,000 | £150,000-£250,000+ |
| Equity | Usually none | 1-5% typical |
| Availability | 1-3 days/week | Full-time |
| Experience | Often more senior | Varies |
| Best For | Seed to Series A | Series B+ |
What to Look for in a Part-Time CTO
- Relevant stack experience: Deep expertise in your technology choices
- Scale experience: Has built and scaled teams at your target stage
- Product sense: Understands business context, not just technology
- Communication: Can translate tech to non-technical stakeholders
- Startup experience: Comfortable with ambiguity and limited resources
Summary: A part-time CTO provides 1-3 days/week of senior technology leadership at £900-£1,500/day—ideal for startups needing strategic tech guidance without full-time cost.