Fractional CTO for Startups
Senior technical leadership — without the full-time cost
Dr. Jen Anderson brings 10 years of engineering leadership and a PhD in behavioral neuroscience to early-stage startups that need a CTO but cannot justify the full-time hire.
Architecture decisions, hiring guidance, fundraise technical prep, and engineering team building — now accepting beta partners among pre-Series A startups with fewer than 30 employees.
Start with a Technical Foundation Audit
1-2 weeks · Fixed scope · Standalone deliverable
A technical assessment with gap analysis, tier recommendation, and actionable roadmap — valuable as a standalone deliverable.
The audit scopes the fractional relationship and de-risks both sides before committing to a retainer. You get a complete technical assessment and roadmap regardless of whether you continue.
What's Included
- ✓Codebase and architecture review
- ✓Infrastructure and DevOps assessment
- ✓Team capability and process evaluation
- ✓Technical debt inventory
- ✓Prioritized roadmap with quick wins
- ✓Recommended engagement tier
The audit is valuable as a standalone deliverable — you will receive a complete technical assessment and actionable roadmap even if you choose not to proceed to a retainer.
Now Accepting Beta Partners
Beta Partnership Program
I'm building the fractional CTO practice alongside a small number of early-stage startups. Beta partners get early access to hands-on technical leadership — and help shape how the engagement evolves.
What's included:
- ✓Technical Foundation Audit to scope the engagement
- ✓Ongoing fractional CTO leadership tailored to your stage
- ✓6 months Operion platform access
- ✓Email support throughout the engagement
- ✓One follow-up call 30 days post-decision
- ✓Optional Operion continuation after 6 months
Engagement scope and investment are tailored during the Technical Foundation Audit based on your startup's stage and needs.
How the Engagement Works
This is an ongoing relationship, not a one-off project. Unlike Aurvia's core decision diagnostic engagements (2-4 week fixed-scope projects for enterprise teams), the fractional CTO model is relationship-based leadership that evolves with your startup.
We work with a small number of startups at a time to ensure each gets the attention they need.
Technical Foundation Audit
Assess current state, identify gaps, recommend the right tier for your stage.
Onboard & Align
Establish cadence, priorities, and communication channels.
Execute & Guide
Architecture decisions, hiring support, technical strategy — hands-on leadership.
Monthly Review & Evolve
Review progress, adjust scope, evaluate whether the engagement level still fits.
When You Graduate
The fractional model works best for early-stage startups. As your company grows, there are natural signals that it is time for a full-time CTO or a deeper Aurvia consulting engagement:
- →Your engineering team exceeds 30 people
- →You are managing multi-product architecture
- →Series A+ fundraise complexity requires full-time technical leadership
- →Decision velocity exceeds what part-time capacity can support
When you hit these signals, the relationship transitions to a full Aurvia consulting engagement — decision diagnostics, operating model work, and capability building for growth-stage and enterprise teams.
Aurvia serves three segments: Early-stage startups (fractional CTO), Growth-stage companies (decision diagnostic + advisory), and Enterprise organizations (decision diagnostic + operating model). See the full spectrum →
Built on Enterprise-Grade Expertise
Aurvia also helps engineering organizations with 200+ employees unstick high-stakes decisions — platform migrations, AI strategy, technical architecture, and team reorganizations. The same behavioral science and decision frameworks that power enterprise engagements inform the fractional CTO practice.
Dr. Jen Anderson spent 10 years studying how brains process complexity and risk, then 10 years leading engineering teams at scale. Your startup gets the same caliber of leadership that enterprise CTOs rely on.
Learn about Aurvia's enterprise decision consulting →Common Questions
What does a fractional CTO actually do?
A fractional CTO provides the same strategic and technical leadership as a full-time CTO — architecture decisions, hiring guidance, technical strategy, vendor evaluation — but on a part-time basis. You get senior leadership without the full-time salary and equity commitment.
How is this different from a technical advisor?
Advisors give opinions. A fractional CTO makes decisions with you, attends key meetings, reviews code and architecture, and is accountable for technical outcomes. It is hands-on leadership, not occasional advice.
When should I hire a full-time CTO instead?
When your team exceeds 30 engineers, you are managing multi-product architecture, or you have raised Series A and need someone full-time in the room every day. We help you identify that transition point and can support the hiring process.
What is included in the Technical Foundation Audit?
A 1-2 week assessment covering codebase and architecture review, infrastructure and DevOps evaluation, team capability assessment, technical debt inventory, a prioritized roadmap with quick wins, and a recommended engagement tier. It is valuable as a standalone deliverable even if you do not proceed to a retainer.
Can I start with just the audit?
Absolutely. The Technical Foundation Audit is designed as a standalone deliverable. You will get a complete technical assessment and roadmap regardless of whether you continue to a retainer engagement.
How quickly can we get started?
We typically begin the Technical Foundation Audit within 1-2 weeks of signing. The audit itself takes 1-2 weeks, so you can have a complete technical assessment and roadmap within a month of first contact.
Ready to Get Started?
Book a 30-minute conversation to discuss your startup's technical needs. No pressure, no pitch — just an honest assessment of whether fractional CTO support is the right fit.
Or start with a Technical Foundation Audit to scope the relationship before committing to a retainer.