Becoming a Fractional CTO

What the role is and challenges that come with it, getting into fractional CTO roles, and lessons learned.

Q: I’ve heard the term ‘Fractional CTO’ more and more. What is this role, how do people move into it, and what are career paths as a ‘Fractional CTO?’

With the cost of senior engineers and engineering leaders going up, I’ve noticed more startups retaining CTOs on a fractional contract basis. In a recent issue, Daria Shulepova, co-founder and recruitment partner at Growth Levers, shared her observations about this role growing among early stage startups. From The Scoop: the 2022 hiring market, as seen by tech recruiters:

“I see a growing demand for fractional CTOs. With fractional CTOs, companies and startups tap into great talent who can help build a strong tech infrastructure without having to pay a full-time salary.”

This topic on Fractional CTOs is, indeed, intriguing. I cannot think of anyone better to discuss it than an engineering leader who made it their career.

Sergio Pereira has worked as a startup CTO since 2014, in full-time CTO jobs and in fractional CTO roles. Over the last few years, Sergio has been a fractional CTO for more than 10 companies across a range of industries, tech stacks, and growth stages.

In this issue, Sergio will cover:

1. What is a fractional CTO?

2. Sergio’s first fractional CTO job.

3. Taking the plunge: leaving full-time employment to be a fractional CTO

4. Challenges of fractional roles

5. Getting into fractional CTO jobs

6. Are fractional CTO roles growing in popularity?

7. Lessons learned

With this, over to Sergio.

1. What is a fractional CTO?