"I can't find a good CTO and my business is suffering"
I've been searching for 6 months, interviewed 15+ candidates, spent $30K on recruiters, and still don't have a CTO. Meanwhile, my tech team has no direction, our product roadmap is a mess, and we're falling behind competitors.
You're not alone: 67% of non-technical founders report that finding technical leadership is their #1 challenge, taking an average of 8.5 months.
According to a 2024 survey of 500 startups, companies spend an average of 8.5 months and $42K in recruiting fees before successfully hiring a CTO.
Sound Familiar? Common Symptoms
Tech team working without clear direction or priorities
Product development taking 2-3x longer than expected
Increased bugs and technical issues in production
Developers asking you technical questions you can't answer
Investor meetings delayed because you can't articulate technical strategy
Burned through $30K-$50K in recruiter fees with no results
The Real Cost of This Problem
Business Impact
Revenue growth stalled at current level because we can't ship features fast enough. Competitors are outpacing us. Unable to close enterprise deals due to technical concerns. Burning $50K/month while searching.
Team Impact
Engineers frustrated by lack of technical leadership. Best developers considering leaving. Team velocity decreasing month over month. No one to make final technical decisions.
Personal Impact
Working 70-hour weeks trying to fill both CEO and CTO roles. Constant anxiety about technical decisions. Missing family time. Can't focus on sales and fundraising because buried in technical problems.
Why This Happens
Good CTOs are employed and not actively looking
Salary expectations ($200K-$350K) exceed your budget
Top candidates want equity that would dilute founders significantly
Your company stage/funding isn't attractive to senior talent
Geographic constraints limit the candidate pool
Recruiters don't understand your specific technical needs
The best CTOs are employed and not looking. The few who are available have 10+ competing offers. Your startup (pre-Series B) isn't attractive enough to compete with FAANG salaries and late-stage startup equity packages.
How a Fractional CTO Solves This
Get immediate access to experienced CTO-level leadership on a fractional basis, starting within 48 hours instead of waiting 6-12 months
Our Approach
Our fractional CTOs step in immediately to provide the technical leadership your business needs. We assess your current situation, establish technical priorities, guide your existing team, and build the foundation for sustainable growth. Unlike hiring, there's no 6-month search, no equity dilution, and no risk of a bad hire costing you 18 months.
Implementation Steps
Immediate Technical Assessment
Within the first week, we audit your current tech stack, team structure, product roadmap, and identify critical gaps. You'll get a clear technical strategy document that you can share with investors and your team.
Timeline: 1 week
Stabilize and Prioritize
We work with your existing team to establish clear priorities, implement decision-making frameworks, and get everyone aligned on what to build next. Your team finally has the technical direction they've been asking for.
Timeline: 2-4 weeks
Build Technical Infrastructure
We implement proper development processes, code review standards, deployment pipelines, and monitoring. Your team becomes more productive and shipping becomes more predictable.
Timeline: 4-8 weeks
Scale and Hire Strategically
Once stabilized, we help you hire the right technical talent strategically, including potentially a full-time CTO when you're ready. But now you're hiring from a position of strength, not desperation.
Timeline: Ongoing
Typical Timeline
Immediate start, 3-6 months to full stabilization
Investment Range
$10k-$25k/month (60-80% less than full-time CTO salary)
Preventing Future Problems
We help you build processes and documentation so you're never dependent on a single person. When you do hire a full-time CTO, they'll inherit a well-organized technical operation instead of chaos.
Real Success Story
Company Profile
Series A SaaS company in healthcare space, $2M ARR, 8-person engineering team
Timeframe
6 months
Initial State
Spent 9 months searching for CTO, burned through 3 recruiters and $45K in fees. Team velocity decreased 40%. Top engineer gave notice due to lack of direction.
Our Intervention
Fractional CTO started Monday after Friday call. Conducted technical assessment, established sprint planning process, implemented code review standards, and created 6-month technical roadmap within first 3 weeks.
Results
Team velocity increased 65% in 2 months. Top engineer rescinded resignation. Closed first enterprise deal ($250K ARR) thanks to improved technical credibility. After 6 months, hired full-time VP Engineering (not CTO) for $175K instead of $300K CTO, saving $125K annually.
"I wasted 9 months and $45K trying to find a CTO. Within 3 weeks of working with a fractional CTO, my team was more productive than ever. Best decision I made all year."
Don't Wait
Every month without technical leadership costs you $50K+ in wasted salary, lost productivity, and missed opportunities. Competitors are shipping while you're still interviewing.
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