Fractional CTO for
startups that need to scale, not burn.
17+ years on high-load systems. I cut infrastructure costs 30-90% and design architecture that survives 10x growth, with every call weighed against your runway.
// how_i_help
Senior technical leadership, priced for your runway
01
Cut Infrastructure Costs
Reduce cloud bills 30-90% without sacrificing performance
02
Design Smart Architecture
Build systems that scale 10x without over-engineering
03
Build Your Team
Hire and structure your first engineering team effectively
04
Make Strategic Decisions
Technology choices aligned with business goals and runway
// what_you_get
Engagements built around your stage
Hands-on CTO as a service: senior technical leadership without the full-time price tag.
Fractional CTO for Startups
[01]
Technical due diligence
Prepare your codebase and architecture docs to pass investor scrutiny with confidence.
[02]
MVP to scale
Systems that handle 10x growth without rewrites, right-sized for your current stage.
[03]
First engineering hires
Define roles, build interview processes, and identify people who thrive early-stage.
[04]
Runway-conscious calls
Every technical choice balanced against burn rate to extend runway and keep velocity.
[05]
Vendor & tool selection
Choose tools that scale with you and avoid costly migrations later.
[06]
Board-ready reporting
Translate technical progress into metrics investors actually understand.
Fractional CTO for Private Equity
[01]
Technical due diligence
Assess a target's stack, architecture, security posture, and technical debt pre-acquisition.
[02]
Post-acquisition integration
Merge systems, consolidate infra, and align technology across portfolio companies.
[03]
Cost optimization at scale
Eliminate redundant infra, renegotiate vendors, and implement shared services.
[04]
Technology carve-outs
Cleanly separate tech assets during divestitures with minimal hidden dependencies.
[05]
Leadership assessment
Evaluate technical leadership, find gaps, and recruit CTOs/VPs of Engineering.
[06]
Value creation roadmap
Technology initiatives tied to EBITDA impact and exit preparation.
// recent_result
Cut a client's cloud bill by 90% in the first month, on an architecture they've scaled ever since.
high-load email infrastructure · 5M+ messages/day · 99.9% uptime
// about
Hey, I'm Volodymyr
I've been building technology companies for 17+ 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.
I want to help you build a product customers love and will actually pay for.
// faq
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 17+ 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.
$ ./start-engagement --free-intro
Ready to build scalable technology?
Book a free 30-minute call. No pitch, just a straight read on your stack and where the money's leaking.
→ schedule a call