CTO as a Service

Partnering with innovative startups to provide technical leadership and guidance.

From $6,000 per month

Limited Availability

I speak:🇺🇸English●●●●●🇸🇦Arabic●●●●●·🇫🇷French●●●●○🇳🇱Dutch●●●○○🇪🇸Spanish●●○○○

Partnering with innovative startups to provide technical leadership and guidance.

From $6,000 per month

Limited Availability

I speak:🇺🇸🇸🇦·🇫🇷🇳🇱🇪🇸

Quick Summary

Who it is for

Founders and startup teams who need senior technical leadership without a full-time hire.

Outcome

Clear technical direction, aligned delivery, and reduced execution risk.

Engagement

Monthly partnership with strategic guidance and hands-on leadership.

How to start

Book a strategic consultation or take a free intro call.

Why Partner with Me?

I combine technical depth with strategic thinking, providing the leadership and expertise your startup needs to scale.

Technical Leadership

Provide CTO-level guidance and decision-making without the full-time cost and commitment.

AI Systems Expertise

Deep knowledge of AI integration, RAG systems, and modern technical architectures.

Startup Experience

Built and led 5 different ventures including Sista AI with firsthand experience in technical decisions.

Open Source Creator

Creator of Laradock.io (2M+ downloads) and Apiato framework that companies use in production.

16+ Years Experience

Proven track record with startups and established companies across multiple industries.

Team Building

Experience hiring, mentoring, and scaling engineering teams from 0 to 50+ engineers.

Fractional CTO partnering gives you senior technical leadership without the full-time commitment. I help founders align product goals with architecture, roadmap, and hiring decisions.

You get clear direction, steady execution, and an experienced partner to guide high-stakes technical choices.

Need a CTO partner without the full-time hire?

Book a consultation to align on direction and delivery.

Book a Strategic Consultation

Get In Touch

CTO Partnership Options

Technical leadership based on commitment and depth of involvement.

Part-time CTO

$6,000/ month

Part-time CTO support focused on strategy, reviews, and senior decision-making.

Start part-time

What's included

Async access
Architecture oversight for key initiatives
Roadmap + priority guidance
Critical decision support (build vs buy, stack, vendors)
Team structure & role guidance
Hiring plan & interview loop design
Board / investor technical input as needed

Engagement: Minimum 2-month

Full-time CTO

$10,000/ month

Embedded CTO leadership with full ownership of execution and delivery.

Start 3-month engagement

What's included

Everything in Part-time CTO
Daily async availability
Flexible leadership syncs & calls as needed
Sprint planning & reviews
Direct team mentoring
Code & architecture reviews
Technical debt management
Release & deployment oversight

Engagement: Minimum 3-month

Best value

6-Month Commitment

$57,000/ 6-month commitment

Long-term hands-on CTO engagement with a discount for extended commitment.

Start 6-month engagement

What's included

Everything in Full-time CTO
Long-term execution ownership
Continuity across roadmap, team, and delivery
Reduced monthly rate via 6-month commitment

Engagement: Fixed 6-month

What Clients Say

Feedback from people who have worked with me.

0/5.0

•0 reviews

"For nine months, Zalt acted as our sounding board. He pushed back when we rushed, and a few of those pauses prevented problems we would have had to clean up later."

Felix

Founder

CTO as a Service

Experience

Hands-on CTO leadership with startup, AI, and delivery depth.

Experience

16+ years leading product and engineering delivery.

Startups

Built and led 5 ventures including Sista AI.

Open source

Laradock (2M+ downloads)

Architecture

LLM, RAG, and cloud systems built for scale.

Hiring

Scaled teams from 0 to 50+ engineers.

Advisory

Investor and board support for technical strategy.

Struggling with technical leadership gaps?

Get executive-level guidance to steer your engineering team forward.

Book a Strategic Consultation

Get In Touch

Fractional CTO FAQ

How much does a fractional CTO cost?

Part-time CTO engagement starts at $6,000/month for strategy and architecture oversight. Full-time embedded CTO leadership is $10,000/month. A 6-month commitment offers a discounted rate. All plans include a discovery call to scope the right fit.

What is the difference between a fractional CTO and a full-time CTO?

A fractional CTO provides senior technical leadership on a part-time or project basis without equity, benefits, or long-term salary commitment. You get the same strategic guidance and decision-making at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.

When should a startup hire a fractional CTO?

When you need technical leadership for architecture decisions, team hiring, roadmap planning, or investor-facing strategy but are not ready for a $250K+ full-time CTO salary. Common stages are pre-seed through Series A.

Do you work with existing engineering teams?

Yes. I join your Slack, GitHub, and team rituals. I collaborate with your engineers, guide architecture decisions, run sprint reviews, mentor leads, and help improve delivery cadence without replacing anyone.

Can a fractional CTO help with hiring and team building?

Yes. I define role requirements, design interview loops, evaluate candidates, and structure onboarding for key technical hires. I have scaled teams from 0 to 50+ engineers across multiple startups.

How long do fractional CTO engagements last?

Most partnerships run 3-6 months. Some continue for a year or longer as the company scales. The minimum commitment is 2 months for part-time and 3 months for full-time to ensure meaningful impact.

Can you help prepare for investor due diligence?

Yes. I prepare technical documentation, architecture overviews, and risk assessments for investor conversations. I have supported founders through due diligence at seed and Series A stages, including board-level technical presentations.

What do you need to get started as a fractional CTO?

A 30-minute discovery call to discuss your product, team, and challenges. From there I do a 1-2 week audit of your codebase, infrastructure, and processes, then deliver a strategic roadmap with prioritized action items.

How I Work as Your Fractional CTO

A structured approach to providing technical leadership without the full-time commitment.

Step 1

Discovery

30 minutes

A 30-minute, no-obligation call to discuss your goals, current challenges, and technical needs. We explore whether we're a good fit and how I can help.

Deliverables

Understanding of your business goals
Assessment of technical challenges
Initial recommendations

Step 2

Audit & Roadmap

1-2 weeks

I join your Slack and GitHub as a read-only user. I talk to your team, review your codebase, infrastructure, and processes. I deliver a comprehensive "Health & Strategy" document with clear, prioritized action items.

Deliverables

Technical health assessment
10-page strategic roadmap document
Prioritized action items
Team and process recommendations

Step 3

Execution

Ongoing

We run weekly sprints with clear objectives. I provide daily async updates, join your key architectural meetings, and work directly with your team to implement the roadmap.

Deliverables

Weekly sprint planning
Daily async updates
Architectural guidance
Team mentoring

Step 4

Review & Optimization

Ongoing

We regularly review progress, measure outcomes against goals, and optimize our partnership. I provide strategic recommendations, assess technical health, and ensure we're delivering maximum value as your technical leadership evolves.

Deliverables

Progress reviews
Strategic recommendations
Technical health assessments
Partnership optimization

Ready to Discuss Your Technical Strategy?

Let me guide your technical direction and accelerate your growth.

Book a Strategic Consultation

Get In Touch

16+ Years

For Consultation

Worldwide Remote