Areas of Expertise
Fractional CTO services for growing and PE-backed companies
A fractional CTO gives you an experienced technology executive for the part of the week, or the stretch of time, your business actually needs. You get someone who can set technology strategy, explain risk to your board in plain business terms, hold the engineering team accountable, and tell you honestly what’s working and what isn’t, without the cost of a full-time executive before you’re ready for one.
We typically work with companies between roughly $5M and $300M in revenue: founder-led businesses whose technology has outgrown informal oversight, PE portfolio companies with integration or value-creation plans to deliver, and leadership teams that need an independent read on their engineering organization.
What we help with
- Technology strategy and leadership, from roadmap and budget to board reporting. More
- AI strategy and governance: where AI is worth using, how to roll it out, and how to keep it under control. More
- Technology due diligence for private equity and M&A, including whether the team can deliver the plan. More
- Engineering team assessments when you’re not sure what’s really happening in engineering. More
- CTO transitions: covering a departure, supporting a newly promoted CTO, or preparing for a full-time hire. More
How an engagement works
- First 30 days: assessment. An honest review of your architecture, team, vendors, and technical debt, ending in a written plan with three to five priorities.
- Days 30 to 90: ownership. Clear decision rights, a weekly rhythm with engineering, and regular check-ins with the CEO.
- Steady state. Usually one to two days a week, adjusted as the business changes, with board updates where needed.
For more detail, see what a fractional CTO does week by week and what a fractional CTO costs.
Who you’ll work with
FractionalCTO.org is led by Mark Runyon, who has spent 25 years in technology, from writing production code to advising executive teams. He has served as a CTO, a consulting VP, and a principal consultant. His recent work centers on AI strategy and governance: he led an organization-wide Microsoft Copilot rollout for more than 500 employees, built the center of excellence behind it, and designs agentic AI solutions that automate multi-step business workflows.
Mark holds Microsoft certifications including Azure Solutions Architect Expert and Azure AI Engineer Associate, and his writing on AI and IT leadership has appeared in InformationWeek and The Enterprisers Project. He is based in Atlanta and works with companies across the United States. Connect on LinkedIn.
Common questions
What is a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO is an experienced technology executive who works with your company part-time or for a defined period, providing senior technology leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. The role covers technology strategy, risk and governance, and leading the engineering team.
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
In the U.S., most fractional CTO engagements run between $5,000 and $20,000 a month, and senior specialists can charge more. The price depends mainly on experience, scope, and how much time the work needs.
How much time does a fractional CTO spend with my company?
Once an engagement is up and running, one to two days a week is typical for a mid-sized scope. It goes up during fundraising, major architecture changes, or heavy hiring, and down during steady periods.
Do you only work with companies in Atlanta?
No. We’re based in Atlanta and work with companies anywhere in the United States.
When should we hire a full-time CTO instead?
When technology is central to every strategic decision, the engineering team needs daily leadership, and the role needs a full-time presence inside the company. A good fractional CTO will tell you when you’ve reached that point and can help run the search.