Everyone has ideas right? Often in 2025 that manifestation of those ideas is some form of software. As someone with a 'technical' background I often have people saying to me "oh it must be great to have those skills you can just build your ideas". That's true and I get to indulge in passion projects like our recently launched PEM Diary app but how can someone that isn't technical find a long term relationship that will help them turn their idea into a reality?
One potential approach is to use a "Fractional CTO".
What on Earth is a Fractional CTO?
Think of a Fractional CTO as the technical equivalent of having Gordon Ramsay pop into your kitchen a few times a month to make sure you're not burning the place down. A Fractional CTO should be an experienced technical leader who can split their time between multiple startups, providing strategic guidance, technical oversight, and occasionally preventing well-meaning developers from reinventing the wheel as a hexagon.
A CTO is not just there to tell you your code is rubbish and equally they're not there to magically solve all the technical issues. A good Fractional CTO helps with everything from choosing the right tech stack to hiring developers, setting technical strategy, and making sure your product doesn't fall over when your PR campaign kicks off.
What makes a great CTO
Fractional or not you will need technical leadership for your business that is aligned to your business goals. CTOs aren't just technical wizards – they're business-savvy veterans who've been in the trenches of startup life. They should have:
- Battle scars from actually shipping products and products they can link you to (not just PowerPoint presentations)
- A 'Swiss Army Knife' of technical knowledge. Tech startups rarely face simple, single-technology problems so you need to have broad knowledge
- The ability to explain complex technical concepts without sounding like they're reading from a computer science textbook
- Experience working with startups (corporate experience is nice, but startup experience is nicer)
Questions to ask a potential Fractional CTO
When you're interviewing a Fractional CTO, you need to dig deeper than "Do you know what the cloud is?" Here are some conversation starters that'll help you separate the wheat from the chaff:
- "Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult technical decision with limited information." - Their answer will reveal how they handle uncertainty – a startup's constant companion
- "What's the biggest technical disaster you've faced, and how did you handle it?" - Because things will go wrong, and you want someone who's good in a crisis
- How do you stay current with technology trends without chasing every shiny new thing?" - The balance between innovation and stability is crucial, personally I would be looking for someone that keeps an eye onHackerNews but isn't too quick to jump on trends.
Red flags in a fractional CTO
Just as important as asking the right questions is spotting red flags. There's a lot of nuance in this but some common red flags in my opinion are:
- Talking exclusively in TLAs - the old Three Letter Acronym. A good CTO should be able to digest dense technical information and distill that down into something the non-technical audience in the business can understand.
- Unwillingness to provide concrete examples of past wor or references from previous clients. A seasoned fractional CTO should have a portfolio of successful projects they can discuss in detail.
- Promising unrealistic timelines or costs without proper analysis. Whole accurate time estimates in software can be really hard, I would in particular be wary of long lead times. Speed is one of your most important assets as a startup.
- Pushing for the latest trendy technology without clear business justification. Your CTO should recommend solutions based on your specific needs, not just because something is new and exciting.
- Being dismissive of your existing technical solutions or team without proper evaluation. A good fractional CTO should seek to understand current systems and team dynamics before suggesting changes.
- Lack of interest in your business model or revenue goals. Technical decisions should always align with business objectives, and a CTO who doesn't show interest in these aspects might not make the best strategic choices.
- Inability to discuss both technical and non-technical risk factors. A strong CTO should be able to evaluate and communicate about business risks, not just technical ones.
- No clear communication strategy or availability expectations. A fractional CTO should be upfront about their availability, response times, and how they plan to stay connected with your team.
The money talk
How much should you expect to pay? Well, how long is a piece of string? Fractional CTO costs vary wildly based on experience, location, and the level of support you need. In the UK, you might be looking at anywhere from £500 to £2,000 per day. But the real question isn't the day rate – it's the value they bring.
A good fractional CTO should be flexible enough to scale their involvement up or down based on your needs. Maybe you need two days a week during a critical product launch, then scale back to two days a month for maintenance mode. The key is finding someone who understands that startups need flexibility more than they need rigid contracts.
Where to find your tech lead as non-technical founder
Finding a fractional CTO is a bit like dating – recommendations from friends are usually better than random encounters on the internet. But here are some hunting grounds:
- Local tech meetups, even if you yourself are non-technical in my experience you will be welcomed into language/tech/niche specific groups and communities
- Your city's startup ecosystem (founder in Scotland? Check out our recent blog post with some useful free resources for Scottish founders)
- LinkedIn... though be prepared to wade through recruiter spam and some interesting interpretations of what a CTO actually does
- Ask other founders. Speak to your peers, in my experience founders typically love giving advice almost as much as they love complaining about investors
Maybe we can help?
Speaking of finding the right technical leadership, here at Add Jam, we've been providing fractional CTO services to startups for years. Our team brings deep expertise in Ruby on Rails, React Native, and the entire modern web stack, plus years of experience helping startups scale from idea to revenue.
We're particularly proud of our track record in helping non-technical founders navigate the often-bewildering world of technology decisions. Whether you need help choosing between native and cross-platform mobile development, setting up your first development team, or planning your technical roadmap, we've got your back.
Actionable advice
Choosing a fractional CTO is a bit like choosing a co-founder, except you can break up more easily if things don't work out. Look for someone who:
- Has actually built and shipped real products
- Understands both technology AND business
- Can explain complex concepts without making your head hurt
- Fits your company culture and communication style
The goal isn't just to find someone who can tell you what technology to use, ideally you're going to bring onboard a partner who can help turn your vision into a viable reality without bankrupting you in the process.
Ready to explore how a fractional CTO could help your startup? Get in touch with Add Jam via our contact form or book a free 30 minute consultation at a time that suits you – we promise to speak human, not tech jargon.
Looking for more startup advice? Check out our other articles on technical leadership and startup growth.
