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A fractional CTO proposal for a software company whose engineering slowed after its technical co-founder left. It covers releases and incidents over six months, what the role covers, what is not included, the first 90 days, the CTO’s background, a similar client’s results and three plans by days a week.

Fractional CTO Proposal

Overview

<h2 style="font-family:var(--proposal-font-heading);font-size:clamp(28px,4.2cqw,44px);line-height:1.14;font-weight:700">Thank you for the conversation</h2><p style="font-size:clamp(20px,2.1cqw,23px);line-height:1.5">You want engineering back on a steady footing before you raise your Series A next spring.</p>

Introduction

<h2 style="font-family:var(--proposal-font-heading);font-size:clamp(28px,4.2cqw,44px);line-height:1.14;font-weight:700">Where engineering stands</h2><p style="font-size:clamp(20px,2.1cqw,23px);line-height:1.5">From our two days with your team in October.</p>

Releases shipped each month

<p>Three services were started this year with different frameworks, and nobody decided which one should win.</p>

Nobody owns the architecture

<p>Fourteen production incidents since July, against five in the first half of the year.</p>

More time on fixes

<p>Both told us they want clearer priorities and someone senior to learn from.</p>

Two seniors may leave

<p>Investors will ask about security, scaling and the roadmap, and nobody can answer for engineering today.</p>

Due diligence next spring

Your situation

<h2 style="font-family:var(--proposal-font-accent);font-weight:500;line-height:1.14"><span style="font-size:clamp(30px,4.2cqw,52px)">We recommend a fractional CTO two days a week, with one day on site with your engineers.</span></h2><p style="font-size:clamp(20px,2.1cqw,23px);line-height:1.5">Six months is enough to steady delivery, hire a permanent engineering lead and prepare for due diligence.</p>

<p>Decide which services stay, which merge and which stop, written up as short decision records your engineers can follow.</p>

Architecture

<ul><li>Two-week planning with your product lead</li><li>A weekly release, with a simple checklist</li><li>Incident reviews within two days, without blame</li></ul>

Delivery

<p>One-to-ones with your senior engineers every two weeks, clear career levels and a plan to keep the two people at risk.</p>

Team

<p>A role description for a permanent engineering lead, help with the shortlist and a seat in the final interviews.</p>

Hiring

<p>A technology section for each board pack, and a due diligence pack covering security, scaling and the roadmap.</p>

Board and investors

Writing production code

Being on call for incidents

Recruitment agency fees

Not included

Our recommendation

<h2 style="font-family:var(--proposal-font-heading);font-size:clamp(28px,4.2cqw,44px);line-height:1.14;font-weight:700">The first 90 days</h2><p style="font-size:clamp(20px,2.1cqw,23px);line-height:1.5">Starting on {{START_DATE}}. You see a written update every Friday.</p>

<p>One-to-ones with every engineer, a review of the code, incidents and cloud bills.</p>

Listen

<p>Architecture decisions, the release checklist and the incident review routine.</p>

Decide

<p>Weekly releases with your team, and career levels agreed with your seniors.</p>

Steady delivery

<p>The engineering lead search starts, and your first board pack goes out.</p>

Hire and report

The first 90 days

Who you will work with

<h2 style="font-family:var(--proposal-font-heading);font-size:clamp(28px,4.2cqw,44px);line-height:1.14;font-weight:700">Results for a similar client</h2><p style="font-size:clamp(20px,2.1cqw,23px);line-height:1.5">A payments company after its founding CTO left, and what changed in five months.</p>

Results for a similar client

<h2 style="font-family:var(--proposal-font-heading);font-size:clamp(28px,4.2cqw,44px);line-height:1.14;font-weight:700">Plans and fees</h2><p style="font-size:clamp(20px,2.1cqw,23px);line-height:1.5">Three plans, each for at least three months. We recommend two days a week.</p>

Technical direction and a weekly check-in.

One day a week

Two days a week

For a heavier quarter, such as a rebuild or a raise.

Three days a week

<p>Fees are in USD and exclude tax. Travel outside the city is billed at cost with your approval. This proposal is valid until {{VALID_UNTIL}}.</p>

Plans and fees

<h2 style="font-family:var(--proposal-font-heading);font-size:clamp(28px,4.2cqw,44px);line-height:1.14;font-weight:700">Common questions</h2>

<p>A good hire takes four to six months to find. This plan steadies the team now and helps you hire the right permanent lead.</p>

Why not hire a full-time CTO now?

<p>Not as part of the plan. We review designs and code, and pair with your seniors, but your team owns the code.</p>

Will you write code?

<p>On your Slack during working hours. Urgent questions are answered the same day.</p>

How do we reach you between days?

<p>We hand over across four weeks, then step back to one day a week or finish, whichever you prefer.</p>

What happens when the permanent lead starts?

<p>Yes, with a month’s notice, after the three-month minimum.</p>

Can we change the number of days?

<p>You do. Everything is written in your tools and stays with you.</p>

Who owns the documents and decisions?

Questions

<h2 style="font-family:var(--proposal-font-heading);font-size:clamp(28px,4.2cqw,44px);line-height:1.14;font-weight:700">Next steps</h2><p style="font-size:clamp(20px,2.1cqw,23px);line-height:1.5">How we start.</p>

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