Hire a Fractional CTO | CTO as a Service for Startups
Hire a Fractional CTO
If you’re a startup founder looking to hire a fractional CTO, this page will help you understand what good looks like, what to watch out for, and how the engagement process works.
I’m Federico Toscano. I offer fractional CTO and CTO-as-a-service engagements to early-stage startups and non-technical founders across the UK and beyond.
What to Look for When Hiring a Fractional CTO
Not all fractional CTOs are the same. Before you hire, it’s worth being clear about what you actually need – and what to expect from a good engagement.
Startup experience, not just big-company experience A CTO who has spent their career at large enterprises may struggle with the constraints and pace of an early-stage startup. Look for someone who has built things from scratch, made decisions under uncertainty, and worked without large support teams.
Technical depth, not just management At the fractional level, you want someone who can actually evaluate code quality, architecture decisions, and technical proposals – not just someone who manages other people who do the technical work.
Communication you can work with A fractional CTO needs to translate between technical reality and business goals. If they can’t explain a technical decision in plain terms, that’s a problem.
Clear scope and honest limits A good fractional CTO is clear about what they do and don’t do. If someone promises to do everything for a suspiciously low rate, ask hard questions about how.
References and track record Ask to speak with founders they’ve worked with before. Specifically ask about situations where things went wrong and how the CTO handled them.
How Federico’s Engagement Process Works
Hiring a fractional CTO shouldn’t be a complicated process. Here’s how I approach it:
1. Initial call (30 minutes) We talk about where you are, what you’re building, and what you’re trying to solve. I ask direct questions and give you direct answers. By the end of the call, you’ll know whether there’s a fit.
2. Scoping If there’s a fit, I put together a clear proposal: what the engagement covers, what it doesn’t, the retainer cost, and what success looks like. No hidden extras.
3. Start I don’t do onboarding for weeks. Within the first two weeks, I’m already getting up to speed on your product, your codebase, your team, and your goals – and giving you useful input.
4. Ongoing Most engagements run on a monthly retainer. We work asynchronously throughout the month, with regular video calls and whatever communication cadence works for how you operate.
What Fractional CTO as a Service Includes
My retainer model is designed for startups who need a consistent technical partner, not a one-off consultant.
Monthly retainer: £1,000 – £2,500/month
Included in a typical retainer:
- Ongoing technical strategy and architectural guidance
- Technology stack and vendor selection advice
- Code, agency proposal, and technical document review
- Async availability throughout the month (questions, decisions, sounding board)
- Support in investor conversations and due diligence preparation
- Recruitment support for technical hires
What’s not included in the standard retainer (priced separately):
- Hands-on software development
- Technical audits (scoped separately by complexity)
- Architecture documents
Who Should Hire a Fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO is the right fit if:
- You’re a non-technical founder who needs to build a product and wants a trusted technical partner to guide the process
- You’re a startup between CTOs and need experienced interim leadership while you find the right full-time hire
- You’re working with a development agency or freelancers and want oversight to ensure quality and accountability
- You’ve launched your MVP and are hitting technical scaling challenges you need help thinking through
- You’re preparing for a fundraise and need credible technical foundations and someone who can answer investor questions
A fractional CTO is probably not the right fit if:
- You already have a strong technical co-founder – you may need a specialist consultant instead
- You need someone to write code – that’s a developer, not a CTO
- You need 40 hours a week of technical leadership – that’s when a full-time hire makes sense
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a fractional CTO and a CTO consultant? A consultant is typically engaged for a specific project or deliverable with a defined end point. A fractional CTO is an ongoing part-time partner who provides strategic technical leadership over time. The relationship is closer and longer-term.
How quickly can you start? Typically within a week or two of agreeing terms, depending on my current client load and your onboarding availability.
Do you take equity? No. I work on cash retainers only. This keeps the relationship straightforward and ensures my advice is honest rather than influenced by an equity stake.
Can you work alongside our existing team? Yes. I regularly work with existing developers, technical co-founders, and development agencies as the senior technical voice in the room.
What if it’s not working out? Retainers are monthly. If the engagement isn’t delivering value, you can end it with one month’s notice. I don’t lock clients into long commitments.
Do you sign NDAs? Yes, standard practice for all engagements.
How many clients do you work with at once? I keep my client list deliberately small – typically three to five active retainer clients at any time – so that each client gets genuine attention.
Ready to Hire?
The fastest way to figure out if this is right for you is a conversation. Book a free 30-minute call and we’ll talk through your situation directly.
No commitment. No sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about whether I’m the right person to help.
| See also: Fractional CTO Services | Fractional CTO Cost & Pricing |