Fractional CTO Services

What It Is

What does a fractional CTO do?

A fractional CTO is a senior technology executive who works with your company part-time or on retainer. They provide the same strategic and technical leadership as a full-time CTO — architecture decisions, engineering team management, technology roadmap, and board-level technical representation — without the full-time salary, equity, or long-term commitment.

At Smart Lazu Software, fractional CTO engagements draw on 15+ years of engineering and product leadership at companies including Criteo — with direct experience leading teams of 70+ engineers and driving double-digit revenue growth through technology.

Engagements typically run 1–3 days per week, scoped to what the business actually needs. Some clients need a strategic voice in weekly leadership meetings. Others need more hands-on involvement during a critical scaling phase or major technology transition.

Is This Right For You

Who needs a fractional CTO?

• Startups that have raised funding and need senior technical leadership but are not ready for a full-time CTO hire
• Companies with a strong engineering team but no senior technical voice at the leadership or board level
• Businesses evaluating a major technology decision — platform migration, cloud adoption, microservices, or AI integration
• Teams that have outgrown their current architecture and need experienced guidance on what to build next

Our Process

How we work together

Common Questions

Fractional CTO FAQ

What does a fractional CTO do?

A fractional CTO provides part-time senior technical leadership — setting engineering strategy, guiding architecture decisions, hiring and mentoring engineers, and representing technology at the leadership level.

How many hours per week does a fractional CTO work?

Typically between 1 and 3 days per week, depending on the engagement. We scope the hours based on what the business actually needs.

How is a fractional CTO different from a consultant?

A consultant delivers a report or recommendation and moves on. A fractional CTO takes ongoing responsibility — attending leadership meetings, making decisions, managing engineers, and seeing initiatives through to completion.

How do I know if I need a fractional CTO or a software development partner?

If your challenge is strategic — technical direction, better engineering processes, scaling a team — that is a fractional CTO engagement. If your challenge is delivery — building a system or tool — that is a software development engagement. Many clients start with one and expand to both.

Do you work on-site or remotely?

We work primarily remotely, with video calls, async communication, and regular check-ins. On-site visits can be arranged for key milestones if needed.

Ready to talk about your technical challenges?

Book a free 30-minute discovery call — no commitment required.