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Hire a Fractional CTO

Hire a fractional CTO - directly, not through a listing

Skip the profiles and filters. Engage a senior technology executive directly: someone who takes accountability for architecture and delivery, backed by a structured method and a team that can execute.

Book a callSee how hiring works

For founders and leadership teams ready to bring in fractional CTO-level leadership now.

BETWEEN YOU AND THE WORK

  1. You

    Direct engagement

    The listing route · skipped: Platform · Profiles & filters · Matching

  2. Named senior CTO (accountable for the outcome)

  3. Backed by

    Decision method · Execution system

    Architecture-first

No profiles, no filters - one accountable senior leader, engaged directly.

When it is time

Signs it is time to hire

You do not need to be certain - a short conversation can tell you whether now is the right time.

  • No technical co-founder

    Every technical debate ends with “someone should own this.”

    Technical decisions are being made without anyone accountable for the outcome.

  • A team without technical direction

    The team asks you for direction you cannot give.

    Engineers are capable, but nobody is setting architecture or priorities.

  • Fundraising or technical due diligence ahead

    Due-diligence requests are starting to stall momentum.

    Investors will ask technical questions the founding team cannot answer with confidence.

  • An AI system heading to production

    Nobody can say how the system is tested before it ships.

    Model, data and evaluation decisions are being made without senior oversight.

Ways to get a CTO

Compare the routes, honestly

A marketplace, a recruiter, an agency and a direct senior provider solve different problems. Here is how they compare - including where Comtau is not the best fit.

Marketplace vs full-time hire vs agency CTO-as-a-Service vs Comtau

  • Marketplace freelancer

    Between you and the work

    1. You
    2. Platform
    3. Freelancer (accountable for the outcome)
    Time to start
    Fast - browse and message profiles directly
    Who is accountable
    The individual you hire, once matched
    Best for
    A well-defined task with a known, verifiable candidate
    More factors
    Continuity
    Depends on the individual staying available
    Depth: strategy vs execution
    Varies widely by profile
    Method or team backing
    None beyond the individual
    Typical commitment
    Set by the freelancer

  • Recruiter / full-time hire

    Between you and the work

    1. You
    2. Recruiter
    3. Search and interviews
    4. Permanent hire (accountable for the outcome)
    Time to start
    Slow - a full search and interview process
    Who is accountable
    The permanent hire, once they join
    Best for
    Technology is core and the timeline allows a proper search
    More factors
    Continuity
    High, once hired
    Depth: strategy vs execution
    Full, but only after the search concludes
    Method or team backing
    None until the hire starts
    Typical commitment
    Full-time, permanent

  • Agency CTO as a Service

    Between you and the work

    1. You
    2. Agency (accountable for the outcome)
    3. Assigned lead
    Time to start
    Moderate - scoping and onboarding a function
    Who is accountable
    The agency, for the contracted scope
    Best for
    You want a packaged function with delivery capacity attached
    More factors
    Continuity
    Depends on the agency’s staffing model
    Depth: strategy vs execution
    Leadership plus optional delivery capacity
    Method or team backing
    A firm and a defined service scope
    Typical commitment
    Defined by the service package
    See CTO as a Service

  • Comtau (direct senior fractional)

    Between you and the work

    1. You
    2. Named senior CTO (accountable for the outcome)
    3. Decision method
    4. Execution system
    Time to start
    An intro call, then a scoped proposal
    Who is accountable
    One named senior CTO, directly
    Best for
    You want senior ownership, engaged directly, not a listing
    More factors
    Continuity
    Ongoing, with decisions documented as you go
    Depth: strategy vs execution
    Strategy through to hands-on execution
    Method or team backing
    A written decision method and Comtau’s own engineering system for execution
    Typical commitment
    Agreed at the start, adjusted as needs change

What you hire

Most routes put a person in front of you. Comtau puts a person with a working system behind them: decisions recorded before anything is built, and an engineering system that turns them into scoped, reviewed and evidenced work when you want delivery too.

  • One named senior CTO
  • Written decision records
  • Controlled, AI-assisted execution

Evaluating candidates

How to evaluate a fractional CTO

Whoever you engage, these are the criteria that separate real ownership from an expensive opinion. Use them on any candidate, including us.

Fractional CTO evaluation checklist · 9 criteria

Tick as you go. Nothing is saved or sent.

Seniority and depth

  • Real accountability for technology decisions at a company like yours - not a senior engineer wearing a CTO title.

    Ask: What have you personally decided and owned, not just advised on?

  • Able to read and reason about your actual architecture and code, not only present slides.

    Ask: Can you review our architecture and codebase directly?

  • Has made and documented real architecture decisions, including the ones that were rejected.

    Ask: What is a decision you made that you would make differently today?

Strategy to delivery

  • Can connect a roadmap to what actually gets built, not just to a slide.

    Ask: How did your last recommendation get implemented?

  • If AI is part of the product: has taken models, data and evaluation past a prototype.

    Ask: How would you test an AI feature before it ships?

  • Can show how finished work is verified (checks, independent review, a written record) rather than reported as a status.

    Ask: How will we know a piece of work is actually finished and correct?

Working model

  • Decisions and their reasoning are written down, not held in one person’s head.

    Ask: What does a decision record from you look like?

  • A clear, agreed cadence - not an occasional call when time allows.

    Ask: How will you structure your time with us?

  • People who can speak to decisions the candidate owned, not only to their CV.

    Ask: Who can we speak to about a decision you owned?

New to the model itself? See what a fractional CTO does.

How hiring Comtau works

From a conversation to a working engagement

No listings, no bidding. A short, direct process that ends with a scoped proposal and a clear first-weeks plan.

  1. Phase 01

    Intro call

    Understand the situation and what technology leadership needs to solve right now.

    • Your current situation
    • What you have tried
    • What “good” would look like

    Output

    A shared understanding of the problem

  2. Phase 02

    Diagnostic

    Look at what exists before proposing anything.

    • Architecture and systems
    • Team and delivery
    • Immediate risks

    Output

    A technical assessment and risk map

  3. Phase 03

    Proposal

    Set out exactly what the engagement will own and produce.

    • Scope of ownership
    • Cadence
    • What you will receive

    Output

    A scoped engagement proposal

  4. Phase 04

    Start

    Begin with priorities agreed, not guessed at.

    • First priorities
    • Decision log started
    • Cadence in place

    Output

    First-weeks priorities and a decision log

How the engagement is structured

The right starting point depends on how much is already decided. See the cost and models overview for how these are priced.

  • light

    Assessment / project start

    A bounded starting point: a technical assessment or a single scoped decision, before any ongoing commitment.

  • regular

    Fractional (ongoing)

    Ongoing part-time ownership of agreed technology areas, on a recurring cadence.

  • deep

    Interim (full coverage)

    Full-time or near full-time coverage through a leadership gap or a defined transition.

For a defined leadership gap rather than ongoing ownership, see Interim CTO. For how each option is priced, see Fractional CTO cost & engagement models .

Ready to talk to the person, not a profile?

Tell us what you need a CTO for. We will tell you plainly whether Comtau is the right direct engagement - and if not, what to look for instead.

Book a call

Direct conversation with a senior CTO/architect. We’ll review your situation and determine the useful next step.

The first weeks

What you get in the first weeks

Most hiring routes stop at “start work”. This is what the start of a Comtau engagement produces, in order. Timing is agreed in the proposal, not promised here.

  1. Technical assessment

    Architecture, systems, team and delivery reviewed before anything is proposed.

    Output: Technical assessment

  2. Architecture and risk map

    The risks that matter now, and the architecture decisions they depend on.

    Output: Risk map

  3. Priorities and roadmap

    What gets decided first, and in what order, agreed with you.

    Output: First-weeks priorities

  4. Cadence and decision log

    A working rhythm with your team, and every decision written down with its reasoning.

    Output: Decision log

Who delivers
The senior CTO who scoped the engagement leads it, backed by Comtau’s structured assess-design-execute method.
How progress is reviewed
Against the agreed priorities, on the agreed cadence - with scope adjusted openly rather than left to drift.

FAQ

Hiring a fractional CTO: questions

Is Comtau a marketplace or a recruiting agency?

No. Comtau is a direct fractional and interim CTO leadership practice. There are no profiles to browse and no placement fee - you engage a senior CTO directly, backed by a structured method.

How is this different from hiring through a marketplace?

A marketplace matches you with one of many independent profiles and steps back once you are matched. With Comtau, the same senior person who scopes the engagement leads it, supported by a defined method rather than a listing.

How much does a fractional CTO cost?

Cost depends on scope, intensity and duration. See Fractional CTO cost & engagement models for how engagements are structured and priced.

Can you work with our existing team or agency?

Yes - this is the most common setup. The fractional CTO sets direction and owns the decisions that need senior accountability, while working with your in-house team, technical lead or development agency.

What if a fractional CTO is not the right fit?

Say so on the intro call and we will tell you plainly. If ongoing leadership is not what the situation needs, a scoped architecture review or technical due diligence may be the more honest engagement - or a full-time hire may be the right call.

Fractional vs interim vs CTO as a Service - which do I need?

Fractional is ongoing and part-time. Interim covers a full-time gap for a defined period. CTO as a Service is a packaged function from a firm, with delivery capacity attached. The comparison above shows how they differ.

How fast can you start?

It depends on the situation and current commitments. The intro call is where timing gets discussed honestly, rather than promised in advance.

Talk to the CTO who would actually do the work

No forms to a matching algorithm. Tell us the situation, and we will tell you whether direct engagement with Comtau is the right next step.

Book a callSee the Fractional CTO model

Direct conversation with a senior CTO/architect. We’ll review your situation and determine the useful next step.

What happens next

  1. 01You describe the situation on an intro call
  2. 02We run a short diagnostic before proposing anything
  3. 03You receive a scoped proposal - no obligation