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Fractional CTO

Senior technology leadership, without a full-time CTO hire

For founders and non-technical CEOs who need an experienced technology leader in the room now: before a raise, during a rescue, or while building the team.

Book a consult30-day CTO Diagnostic: $10,000

Sound familiar?

  • You are raising soon, and investors will ask questions about your technology that you cannot answer yet.
  • The roadmap keeps slipping and you cannot tell whether the problem is the team, the vendor, or the architecture.
  • You need to make your first engineering hires, or hire a full-time CTO, and do not know what good looks like.
  • Your platform is aging, and everyone has a different opinion about modernization and where AI fits.
  • You are paying an agency or vendor and have no independent view of the quality of the work.

What we do

  • Investor & due-diligence readiness

    Architecture, security posture, team, and roadmap documented and defensible before investors look.

  • Rescue & turnaround

    An independent read on stalled projects, failing vendors, and unstable platforms, followed by a plan to recover.

  • Build the team

    Role definitions, interview loops, and hiring support for your first engineers or your permanent CTO or VP of Engineering.

  • Modernization & AI strategy

    A staged plan for legacy systems and cloud, and a clear view of where AI earns its place.

Start here

30-day CTO Diagnostic

$10,000

30 days · fixed price

Founders and CEOs who need an expert, independent view of their technology before making a major decision.

Book a consult

What you get

  • Architecture and codebase review
  • Team and process assessment, including vendors and agencies
  • Risk register: security, scalability, key-person, and vendor risks
  • Technology roadmap aligned to your business plan
  • Board- and investor-ready report
  • Readout with you and, if you want, your board

Then, if it fits: the Fractional CTO retainer, typically $12,000–$20,000 per month.

How it works

  1. 01

    Intro call

    30 minutes to understand where you are and what decision is coming. No charge.

  2. 02

    Diagnostic

    Thirty days reviewing your architecture, code, team, vendors, and roadmap.

  3. 03

    Report & readout

    A board-ready report and a working session on what to do next.

  4. 04

    Retainer (optional)

    Ongoing leadership, typically $12k–$20k per month, until you hire a permanent CTO or no longer need one.

Who you work with

Led by Aaron Wise, CTO & Principal

Every engagement is led personally by Digital Foundry’s CTO & Principal.

Frequently asked questions

What does a fractional CTO cost?

The 30-day CTO Diagnostic is a fixed $10,000. An ongoing fractional CTO retainer is typically $12,000–$20,000 per month, depending on time commitment and scope.

How is a fractional CTO different from a consultant?

A fractional CTO takes ongoing ownership of technology decisions, the team, and the roadmap as part of your leadership team, rather than delivering a report and leaving.

How much time will you spend with us?

It depends on your stage and is agreed up front, from a few days a month to several days a week.

Can you help us hire a full-time CTO?

Yes. We define the role, run or support the search and interviews, and hand over to your new hire.

Will you work with our investors and board?

Yes. We sign an NDA before reviewing anything, and the diagnostic report is written to be shared with your board and investors.

Is there a long-term commitment?

No. The diagnostic is a fixed 30-day engagement with no obligation to continue. Retainer terms are agreed up front.

Book a consult

Tell us where you are and what you are trying to decide. We reply within one business day to set up a 30-minute call.