Simon Brooks
Your
Fractional CTO
Get Started
Why hire a fractional CTO?
70% of Tech Startups fail
Main reasons being Team, Market Fit, and Funding
A Startup CTO is many things over time
Full time hiring for the current need can be shortsighted
Full time CTOs are expensive
An average $200k base for a non-founder CTO is likely to cost $400k plus equity
Leverage the experience at a fraction of the cost
Fractional CTOs have been through these trials before
Supplement the existing team
A fractional CTO can fill in the gaps to eliminate the learning curve
Ready to Go
Unlike hiring, fractional CTO can start immediately
When is the right time for a fractional CTO?
Need to outsource successfully
Prior low-cost outsourcing failures? Get help from someone who has succeeded before
Strategy, marketing, sales, networking taking all the time
Need someone to focus on the technical leadership
Rebuild trust in the tech team
Bad hires, practices, or communication with other teams have eroded trust
“Grown up in the room”
Investors need to see the results of a seasoned professional leading the technical teams
Fill the Gap
The departure of aTech Leader leaves a void that needs filling fast
Current team/CTO just needs help
Bring in a coach/mentor/advisor
What a fractional CTO can do for you?
Build the Technology
Through the whole technology stack and toolchains, build vs buy, vendor/OSS evaluation, management, onboarding, and implementation or integration
Build the Team
Developing and leading hiring, onboarding, and off boarding processes, building internal teams. Creating and managing outsourcing relationships
Build the Talent
Advising leadership, coaching and mentoring the engineering team. Creating growth pathways for individuals
Build the Process
How the teams design, build, test, deploy, maintain, communicate, and improve
Build the Trust
Assessments of risk, security, and compliance. Planning for scalability, reliability, and maintainability. Technical due diligence
Build the Strategy
Technology Strategy and Vision. How does the technology increase the company value. How to enable Innovation
Who? Simon is your fractional CTO
Built the Tech
Evaluated, PoC, initial engagement and integration 40+ vendors at 10+ companies covering encryption, pdf signing, office editing, email, test generation, cloud device labs and more
Built the Teams
Built teams from <5 to >50 for multiple companies. Internal hiring - 200+ hired from graduates to directors. Trained interviewers and hiring managers. Outsourcing - 1000+ over 25 years from 30 suppliers. Full cycle of supplier management from evaluation, RFP, onboarding, execution, and review, to completion and/or ongoing maintenance contracts
Built the Process
Implemented and scaled CI/CD, Devops, Agile processes at more than 10 companies. Built mobile apps used by 10s of millions of users
Built the Trust
Code review process, arch review process, audit of status, analysis tools (code, static, dynamic), threat models, security scanning, compliance auditing
Built the Talent
Coached/mentored engineers from entry-level to staff and principal engineers and through multiple ranks of management to Director/VP/CTO. A strong network of talented individuals and teams across many verticals
Built the Strategy
Innovation. 20+ patents covering machine learning, computer vision, blockchain, communication protocols, mobile applications, security, and identity. Involved in 10+ acquisitions from both sides
How to engage with a fractional CTO?
Virtual CTO
Coach/mentor/advisor
A few hours/week
Ad Hoc or Block of 10 Sessions
Book Coaching
Fractional CTO
as a Service
One or more services
10-20 hours/week expectation
Retainer
Start with Discovery
Fractional CTO
as a Solution
Project/outcome based engagement
(Hire and onboard a permanent CTO)
(Setup and manage outsourcing engagement through to milestone and handoff)
Fixed/outcome based pricing
Start with Discovery
Where to start?
Get Started
Simon Brooks
Your Fractional CTO
(408) 386-4837
