Fractional CTO for Startups: Technical Leadership Without the Salary
Senior engineering leadership on a part-time basis. Architecture decisions, team building, code reviews, and technical strategy -- at 10-20% the cost of a full-time CTO.
01 / OVERVIEW
What a Fractional CTO Does for Your Startup
Your startup needs technical leadership, but a full-time CTO costs EUR 150,000-250,000 per year plus equity. At the early stage, that is money better spent on product development and customer acquisition. A fractional CTO gives you the same strategic guidance at a fraction of the cost -- 10-40 hours per month, no long-term commitment.
I help non-technical founders make the right technical decisions from day one: which tech stack to use, how to architect for scale, when to build vs. buy, how to hire and evaluate developers, and how to present your technology to investors. I have seen startups waste EUR 50,000+ rebuilding because they chose the wrong architecture early. My job is to prevent that.
I am Kirill Strelnikov, a senior backend developer and AI engineer based in Barcelona. I have built 15+ production systems including SaaS platforms, AI chatbots, and e-commerce solutions. I work as a fractional CTO for startups that need technical leadership without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.
02 / WHAT I DO
Fractional CTO Responsibilities
Architecture & Tech Stack
Choose the right tech stack for your stage and budget. Design system architecture that scales from 10 to 10,000 users. Database design, API architecture, infrastructure planning. Avoid costly rewrites later.
Team & Hiring
Write job descriptions, screen candidates, conduct technical interviews, and onboard new developers. Set up code review processes, development workflows, and engineering culture. Build a team that ships.
Strategy & Fundraising
Tech due diligence preparation for investor meetings. Technical roadmap aligned with business milestones. Vendor evaluation and build-vs-buy decisions. Translate technical complexity into business language.
03 / WHEN YOU NEED THIS
Signs Your Startup Needs a Fractional CTO
You are a non-technical founder building a technical product. You need someone who can translate your vision into architecture and evaluate developer work.
Your MVP is built but it does not scale. The codebase needs refactoring, the architecture needs rethinking, and you are not sure where to start.
You are preparing to raise funding. Investors will ask about your technology, architecture, and technical team. You need credible answers and a CTO figure.
You are hiring your first developers and need someone to define requirements, interview candidates, and set up engineering processes.
Your outsourced team is not delivering. You need someone on your side to evaluate their work, hold them accountable, and potentially transition to an in-house team.
You are making a major technology decision (new platform, rebuild, AI integration) and need expert guidance before committing EUR 50,000+.
04 / MY APPROACH
How I Work as Your Fractional CTO
Week 1 -- Technical Audit: I review your current codebase, architecture, infrastructure, and team processes. I deliver a written assessment with prioritized recommendations and a 90-day technical roadmap.
Weekly cadence: Regular video calls for strategic decisions. Async Slack/Teams for daily questions. Code reviews via GitHub/GitLab. I am available when you need me, not just during scheduled meetings.
Decision documentation: Every significant technical decision is documented with rationale, alternatives considered, and trade-offs. This becomes your engineering knowledge base and helps onboard future team members.
Hands-on when needed: For critical features, prototypes, or technical spikes, I write code myself. For larger development work, I coordinate with your team or help you source developers.
Exit planning: When your startup grows enough for a full-time CTO, I help you hire one, ensure a smooth knowledge transfer, and transition out gracefully.
My deepest expertise is in Python/Django backends, AI integration, and SaaS architecture. For frontend, mobile, or infrastructure-heavy decisions, I bring in trusted specialists from my network when needed.
06 / PRICING
Fractional CTO Pricing
Monthly retainer with flexible commitment. Start with one month, continue as long as needed. No equity required, no long-term lock-in.
Technical Advisory
€2,000 / month
10 hours/month
Weekly strategy call
Architecture reviews
Async Slack access
Tech stack guidance
Vendor evaluation
Decision documentation
Part-Time CTO
€4,000 / month
20 hours/month
Everything in Advisory
Code reviews
Team mentoring
Hiring support
Technical roadmap
Hands-on development
Investor prep
Full Engagement
€7,000 / month
40 hours/month
Everything in Part-Time
Full technical leadership
Team management
Infrastructure oversight
Security audits
Board/investor meetings
Priority availability
One-time engagements: Technical audit (EUR 1,500), Tech due diligence for investors (EUR 2,000), Architecture review (EUR 1,000). Contact me for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a fractional CTO do?
A fractional CTO provides part-time technical leadership: architecture decisions, tech stack selection, code reviews, team hiring and mentoring, technical due diligence, vendor evaluation, and strategic planning. You get senior engineering guidance 10-40 hours per month at 10-20% the cost of a full-time CTO.
How is this different from hiring a full-time CTO?
A full-time CTO costs EUR 150,000-250,000/year plus equity. A fractional CTO costs EUR 2,000-7,000/month with no equity and no long-term commitment. You get the same strategic decisions and technical leadership at a fraction of the cost. When your startup grows enough for a full-time CTO, I help you hire one and transition out.
Do you also build the product?
I can do hands-on development for critical features, prototypes, and technical spikes. For larger builds, I work with your team or help you hire developers. For dedicated project-based development, see my SaaS MVP development or web application development services.
What timezone do you work in?
I am based in Barcelona, Spain (CET/CEST timezone). This provides excellent overlap with European teams (full day), UK teams (1 hour difference), and US East Coast (6 hours overlap). I schedule calls to fit your team's timezone and respond to async messages within a few hours during business days.
Can you help with fundraising?
Yes. I help prepare for technical due diligence: architecture documentation, scalability plan, security posture assessment, and technology roadmap aligned with business milestones. I can join investor meetings to present the technical vision and answer technical questions. Several of my clients have successfully raised Seed and Series A rounds.
07 / YOUR FRACTIONAL CTO
About Kirill Strelnikov
Kirill is a senior AI engineer and SaaS architect based in Barcelona with 15+ production systems delivered. His experience spans AI chatbots, SaaS platforms, e-commerce, blockchain, and business automation. He has built systems that handle thousands of users, automated 70% of customer support for e-commerce companies, and architected multi-tenant platforms from scratch.
Stack: Python, Django, PostgreSQL, Redis, Docker, OpenAI, LangChain, AWS. Registered autonomo in Barcelona. Communication in English, Spanish, and Russian.
Ready for Technical Leadership?
Tell Kirill about your startup and technical challenges. He will assess your situation and propose the right engagement level -- within 24 hours. First call is free.