Services / Fractional CTO

Fractional CTO

Strategic technical leadership for scale-ups. Get executive-level guidance, architecture oversight, and engineering team development—without the full-time cost.

What Does a Fractional CTO Do?

A fractional CTO provides part-time executive technical leadership for growing startups and scale-ups. As your company expands, you need senior strategic guidance to make the right architecture decisions, build your engineering organisation, and prepare for scaling—but you may not yet need (or be able to afford) a full-time CTO earning £120,000-£200,000+ annually.

When should you hire a fractional CTO? Consider engaging a fractional CTO when your engineering team reaches 5-10 people, you're preparing for a funding round, your systems are showing strain, or you need technical leadership for 1-3 days per week without the full-time cost.

Play Concepts provides fractional CTO services, giving you access to experienced technical leadership on a flexible basis. We work with you 1-3 days per week, providing:

  • Strategic technology roadmaps aligned with business goals
  • Architecture reviews and technical decision-making
  • Engineering team mentoring and process improvement
  • Vendor evaluation and technical due diligence
  • Security, compliance, and governance frameworks
  • Board and investor technical communication

You get the benefit of 30 years of technical leadership experience from Play Concepts—when you need it, without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.

Engagement Details

Duration

Ongoing monthly engagement

Commitment

1-3 days per week

Model

Monthly retainer

Location

Remote-first, UK timezone

Services Provided

Technology Strategy

Develop a clear technology roadmap aligned with your business goals and growth stage.

Architecture Reviews

Assess current systems and recommend improvements for scalability, reliability, and cost-efficiency.

Team Development

Mentor engineering teams, establish processes, and build engineering culture.

Vendor Management

Evaluate and manage technology vendors, platforms, and service providers.

Security & Compliance

Establish security frameworks and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

Investor Communication

Present technical strategy and progress to boards and investors in business terms.

When to Engage a Fractional CTO

Your engineering team is growing beyond 5-10 people and needs senior leadership
You're preparing for a Series A or B and need to demonstrate technical maturity
Your systems are starting to show strain and need architectural review
You need to evaluate vendors, platforms, or potential acquisitions
You want to establish security and compliance frameworks proactively
Your technical roadmap needs to align better with business strategy

Need strategic technical leadership?

Let's discuss how fractional CTO services can help you scale your engineering organisation.

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