Fractional CTO
for Seed-Stage Startups
I help founders build scalable technology without burning capital. As a fractional CTO with 15+ years building high-load systems, I reduce infrastructure costs 30-90% and make technical decisions that support business growth.
Let's TalkHow I Help Founders Build Great Products
Cut Infrastructure Costs
Reduce cloud bills 30-90% without sacrificing performance
Design Smart Architecture
Build systems that scale 10x without over-engineering
Build Your Team
Hire and structure your first engineering team effectively
Make Strategic Decisions
Technology choices aligned with business goals and runway
What You Get with a Fractional CTO
Hands-on CTO as a service: senior technical leadership without the full-time price tag.
Founder Perspective
As a 3x founder/CTO, I understand your constraints. I've been in your shoes—balancing technical excellence with limited runway and resources.
Proven Cost Optimization
Recent client: reduced cloud costs 90% while improving email processing speed (5M+ messages/day, 99.9% uptime).
No Over-Engineering
Pragmatic approach: ship fast, scale smart. Optimize for business outcomes, not technical perfection.
Team Building Expertise
Help you hire right, structure effectively, and develop your engineers into senior contributors.
Strategic Roadmapping
Technical decisions aligned with your funding runway, revenue targets, and growth goals.
Immediate Impact
No ramp-up time. I identify quick wins that create outsized results in first 30 days.
Fractional CTO for Startups
Technical Due Diligence Support
Prepare your codebase and architecture documentation for investor scrutiny. I help you pass technical DD with confidence.
MVP to Scale Architecture
Build systems that handle 10x growth without rewrites. Right-sized infrastructure that matches your current stage.
First Engineering Hires
Define roles, create interview processes, and help you identify candidates who thrive in early-stage environments.
Runway-Conscious Decisions
Every technical choice balanced against burn rate. I optimize for extending runway while maintaining velocity.
Vendor & Tool Selection
Navigate the SaaS landscape. Choose tools that scale with you and avoid costly migrations later.
Board-Ready Reporting
Translate technical progress into metrics investors understand. Clear, honest communication about risks and milestones.
Fractional CTO for Private Equity
Technical Due Diligence
Comprehensive assessment of target company tech stack, architecture, security posture, and technical debt before acquisition.
Post-Acquisition Integration
Merge disparate systems, consolidate infrastructure, and align technology across portfolio companies.
Cost Optimization at Scale
Identify and eliminate redundant infrastructure, renegotiate vendor contracts, and implement shared services across portfolio.
Technology Carve-Outs
Plan and execute clean separation of technology assets during divestitures. Minimize disruption and hidden dependencies.
Leadership Assessment
Evaluate existing technical leadership. Identify gaps and help recruit CTOs/VPs of Engineering for portfolio companies.
Value Creation Roadmap
Strategic technology initiatives tied to EBITDA impact. Clear milestones for exit preparation and value demonstration.
Hey, I'm Volodymyr
I've been building technology companies for 15+ years. Currently, I'm Co-founder & CTO at HotHawk, building high-load email infrastructure that processes 5M+ messages per day.
Before that, I co-founded Teami (SaaS time-tracking platform) and built WeRDevs agency from 0 to 150+ delivered projects. I work as a fractional CTO to support myself while growing my startup, which means I'm living the same challenges you are.
I spent 5+ years as Head of Product and technical leader at software agencies, working on everything from early-stage launches to multi-million dollar digital transformations. I've rebuilt legacy SaaS products and launched new products from scratch.
As a founder and former Head of Product, I understand exactly what you're going through—the resource constraints, the tough prioritization calls, the pressure to ship the right things before the money runs out.
Fractional CTO Track Record
I want to help you build a product customers love and will actually pay for.
Fractional CTO — Frequently Asked Questions
What does a fractional CTO do?
A fractional CTO gives you senior technical leadership part-time: architecture decisions, infrastructure cost control, engineering hiring, and technology strategy tied to your runway. You get the judgment of a CTO who has built and scaled real systems — in my case 15+ years and high-load infrastructure processing 5M+ messages per day — without the cost or commitment of a full-time executive hire.
How much does a fractional CTO cost compared to a full-time CTO?
A full-time startup CTO typically costs $200k–$400k+ per year plus meaningful equity. A fractional CTO is a fraction of that because you only pay for the days you actually need, usually a few per month. For seed-stage teams that need senior technical direction but not a full-time salary, it is the difference between getting expert guidance now and waiting until you can afford a full-time hire.
Fractional CTO vs full-time CTO — which does my startup need?
If you have capable engineers who mainly need direction, architecture review, and hiring help, a fractional CTO is usually the right fit. If your day-to-day requires a hands-on leader writing production code full-time and managing a large team, you likely need a full-time CTO. Many founders start fractional and move to full-time once the team and funding justify it — I help set up that transition so it is smooth.
How many hours per week does a fractional CTO work with each client?
It depends on the engagement, but most clients work with me a few days per month — enough to drive architecture, unblock the team, and keep technical decisions aligned with the business without the overhead of a full-time role. Time scales up around fundraising, technical due diligence, or major launches, and back down once things stabilize.
When should a startup hire a fractional CTO?
The most common triggers are preparing for or coming out of a raise, hitting scaling pain such as rising cloud bills or systems that buckle under growth, making your first engineering hires, or facing investor technical due diligence. If technology decisions are starting to gate your business and you do not have a senior technical leader, that is the moment.
Do you work with private equity firms?
Yes. I work with private equity firms on technical due diligence, post-acquisition integration, infrastructure cost optimization across portfolio companies, technology carve-outs, and value-creation roadmaps tied to EBITDA. The same senior technical judgment that helps founders also de-risks acquisitions and unlocks value in portfolio companies.
How does a fractional CTO engagement start?
It starts with a free 30-minute call to understand your stack, stage, and goals. From there I scope a focused engagement, often beginning with an architecture and cost review that surfaces quick wins in the first 30 days. You can book that call directly from the link on this page.
Ready to Build Scalable Technology?
Book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your technical challenges.
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