Fractional, explained
What a fractional CTO is. And isn't.
"Fractional" gets used for everything from a consultant on a retainer to a part-time contractor. It's neither. Here's the honest version, so you can decide if it's what your company actually needs.
The definition
A fractional CTO is a senior technology leader who joins your business part-time, but with the same seat at the table as a full-time one. Four things make it fractional rather than something else:
Senior, part-time.
CTO-level judgement, one to three days a week, not a junior wearing a big title.
Reports to you.
Founder, CEO or board. Inside the business, not advising from outside it.
Strategic and accountable.
Owns outcomes: architecture, roadmap, hiring, what ships. Not a report about them.
Ongoing, not a project.
Engaged continuously for as long as the business needs the seat filled, then a designed handover.
That definition isn't mine. It's the Fractional Leadership Alliance's global standard. I just work to it.
Fractional vs the alternatives
| Dimension | Full-time CTO | Interim CTO | Consultant | Fractional CTO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time you get | All of it | All of it, briefly | A report's worth | 1 to 3 days a week, sustained |
| Cost | £150 to £250k + equity + benefits | Full salary equivalent, day-rated | Project fees | A fraction of a full-time package |
| Time to start | 6 to 9 month search | Weeks | Weeks | Days |
| Accountability | Owns outcomes | Owns outcomes, short window | Recommends, doesn't own | Owns outcomes |
| In the room? | Yes | Yes | No, advises from outside | Yes, standups included |
| Best for | A company that needs a CTO every day | A gap between permanent hires | A specific question needing an answer | Senior leadership without the full-time need |
Swipe for the full comparison
The one-line version: a consultant tells you what to do, an interim holds the fort, a fractional CTO does the job, at the intensity your company actually warrants.
What it costs
A full-time London CTO runs £150 to £250k plus equity, plus the six to nine months it takes to find one, plus the risk of getting it wrong. A fractional CTO costs a defined monthly amount for one to three days a week, scales up or down as the work demands, and can stop when the need does. You're paying for judgement and accountability, not attendance.
When fractional is the wrong answer
Honesty first: some companies shouldn't hire one.
- If your product ships daily to millions of users and technology is the company, you need a full-time CTO. I'll help you hire them, but the seat should be permanent.
- If you have one narrow question, a good consultant or a paid workshop is cheaper.
- If you want someone to blame rather than someone to build, no version of this works.
If that's you, book the call anyway. I'll say so in the first fifteen minutes and point you the right way.
Common questions
Will you actually be available when things break?
I take on at most five engagements at a time. When your stack breaks, you get me in the code, not a ticket in a queue.
Is one to three days a week enough?
For most scale-ups, yes. The judgement calls that shape a quarter happen in hours, not weeks. The days flex up during a build or a crisis and back down after.
What happens when you leave?
Leaving is part of the design. I document as I go, help you hire the permanent CTO when the time comes, and hand over cleanly. The goal is a business that doesn't need me.
How fast can you start?
Usually within days. First week at full CTO level: no three-month discovery phase.
Who owns the IP?
You do. Everything built during the engagement belongs to your company, under a proper MSA and NDA from day one.
Still not sure which one you need? Fifteen minutes, no pitch. If a fractional CTO isn't the answer, I'll tell you what is.