Question 1

What is a fractional CTO?

Accepted Answer

A fractional CTO is a senior technology leader who owns your technology function part-time, typically 1 to 2 days a week, on a monthly retainer or day rate. You get CTO-level judgement on architecture, hiring, vendors and delivery, without the cost of a full-time executive.

Question 2

What does a fractional CTO cost in the UK?

Accepted Answer

UK fractional CTO day rates typically run £800 to £2,000, with monthly retainers commonly £3,000 to £7,000 and larger scopes above that. A full-time UK CTO typically costs £140,000 to £250,000 a year before equity and benefits. My engagements are quoted per scope after an intro call. Days per week, how hands-on the work is, and the state of the technology move the number.

Question 3

What is the difference between a fractional, interim and part-time CTO?

Accepted Answer

Fractional means ongoing, part-time ownership of the technology function, typically 1 to 2 days a week. Interim means full-time for a fixed period, usually to cover a gap or drive a defined programme. Part-time CTO and fractional CTO describe the same arrangement. I take all three shapes.

Question 4

Is this the same as “CTO as a service” or an outsourced CTO?

Accepted Answer

The work is the same. Those labels, and CTO consulting, usually point to an agency: you get whoever they assign. Here you get one named person with a track record you can check.

Question 5

What's the difference between a fractional CTO and a consultant?

Accepted Answer

A consultant studies the situation and hands you a report. A fractional CTO is in the work itself, and accountable for the outcome. If a report is what you need, that's scoped advisory work, and I do that too.

Question 6

How many days a week do I get?

Accepted Answer

Most fractional engagements run 1 to 2 days a week, flexing up around funding rounds, releases or hiring pushes. Interim engagements are full-time for a fixed term.

Question 7

Do you work remotely or on-site?

Accepted Answer

I'm London-based and remote-first, so a remote CTO arrangement is the default. On-site days in London and travel are agreed per engagement, and I work with companies globally.

Question 8

How does IR35 apply?

Accepted Answer

Fractional engagements are commonly structured as business-to-business contracts for services and assessed case by case against HMRC's off-payroll (IR35) rules. We agree the structure before starting.

Question 9

Can a fractional CTO replace a technical co-founder?

Accepted Answer

Often that's the point: senior technical ownership without giving away co-founder equity. I've been a founder myself, so you get owner-level judgement without adding a stranger to your cap table.

Question 10

Do you cover product as well as technology?

Accepted Answer

Yes. My background has always been product and technology together, from inventing the product to leading the engineers who ship it. If what you need is closer to a fractional CPTO or CPO, that's the shape I work in.

Fractional CTO for founder-led businesses and scale-ups.

This page is coming soon.