Engagement model · Retainer
Fractional CTO Services for Funded Startups
Funded startups need senior technical leadership before they can afford a $250k full-time CTO. Our fractional CTOs operate as your interim technical leader — architecture, hiring, vendor decisions, board-deck slides — typically 20-40 hours / month.
Best for
- Pre-Series A startups with non-technical founders
- Companies between CTO departures and full-time hire
- Funded teams hitting architecture inflection points
- Startups needing board-ready technical leadership
How it works
Discovery and assessment
We audit the existing codebase, team, vendor stack, security posture, hiring profile and product roadmap. Output: written assessment with priorities.
Embedded leadership
Fractional CTO joins your weekly stand-ups, owns architectural decisions, interviews technical hires, reviews vendor contracts and represents engineering in board / investor conversations.
Hiring the permanent CTO
Most engagements have a clear exit — placing a full-time CTO. We help define the role, screen candidates and onboard them.
Pricing
Fractional CTO retainers from $6,000/month (20 hours) to $15,000/month (40 hours). Typical engagement is 6-12 months. Engagement ends when you hire the permanent CTO.
FAQ
Are you the actual CTO?
Yes, for the period of the engagement. We sign technical decisions, own architectural posture and represent engineering at board level. The exit is hiring a permanent CTO — we help do that too.
Who is the fractional CTO?
An engineering lead with 12+ years experience, typically the founder or a senior partner at NextGen Digital Craft. You meet them and decide before the engagement starts.
Other engagement models
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See model →Dedicated Development Team
Dedicated development team services — a complete pod (engineers + designer + PM + engineering lead) working only on your product, monthly retainer.
See model →Fixed-Cost Project Engagements
Fixed-cost software development engagements — scope, timeline and price agreed in writing before kickoff. No surprises, no scope creep.
See model →Ready to start?
Tell us about your engagement needs. We'll come back within 24 hours with a proposed shape.
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