Fractional CTO

A fractional CTO provides senior technology leadership on a part-time, ongoing basis. Typically two to six days a month, for a business that faces real technical decisions but does not have five days a week of them.

The word fractional refers to the time commitment, not the seniority. The point is to get judgement that would otherwise cost £140,000 to £230,000 fully loaded, at the level you actually need it.

What the role actually is

Not writing code, generally, and not managing the day-to-day either. The work is deciding.

What to build and what to buy. Which supplier, and whether their proposal is reasonable. Which sequence, so that the thing you build in March does not have to be rebuilt in September. Whether the system you have is genuinely holding you back or merely old. What the technology risk in the business actually is, and which parts of it matter.

Much of the value is in decisions not taken: the feature not built, the platform not purchased, the rebuild not started.

What it costs in the UK

Day rates run roughly £900 to £1,800, higher in London and specialised sectors. Monthly retainers run £2,500 to £12,000 for an agreed commitment.

Below about £2,500 a month you are buying advice rather than involvement. Above about £12,000 you are approaching the cost of a permanent hire, at which point the comparison is worth running properly.

The main drivers are days committed and whether the person is managing people, because managing a team consumes attention between the scheduled days.

When it fits

When the business faces genuine technical decisions with lasting consequences and nobody internally is equipped to make them. When you are buying from technology suppliers and cannot assess what you are being told. When something needs to be untangled and then handed over.

When it does not

When you need more than about eight days a month consistently, at which point hiring is better value. When the real problem is a shortage of hands rather than judgement, because hiring a strategist to solve a delivery problem is an expensive disappointment. And when there is no decision to make, because a settled plan and a competent team may need a technical lead instead.

What you should get

A named person rather than a rota, some agreed availability between the scheduled days, documentation that stays with you, and someone willing to tell you not to build something.

That last one is the real test. Somebody paid by the day who never recommends spending less is not giving you independent advice.