Fractional CTO for startups and growing companies
Senior technical leadership a few days a month, from someone who has founded, built and run AI products in production. You get the judgement of a CTO without the cost and risk of a full-time hire.
What a fractional CTO does for you
A fractional CTO is a part-time chief technology officer. I join your leadership team on a retainer, own the technical decisions that matter, and make sure your developers (in-house, agency or freelance) build the right thing the right way. If you want the definition in depth, read what a fractional CTO is and what it costs.
- Technical strategy and roadmap: what to build, in what order, and what to deliberately not build.
- Architecture and stack decisions: choices you won't regret at 10× the users, made with cost and speed in mind.
- AI strategy: where AI and LLMs genuinely move your numbers, and how to ship them safely. This is where most CTOs are still learning and where I spend my days.
- Team building: hiring plans, interviews, onboarding, and choosing between in-house, agency or a managed pod.
- Delivery oversight: code review standards, CI/CD, release process, incident handling and honest progress reporting to founders and investors.
- Vendor and agency management: I review quotes, contracts and code from outside teams, so you stop paying for work you can't evaluate.
- Investor and due-diligence support: technical sections of decks, data rooms and diligence calls.
Who hires a fractional CTO
- Non-technical founders who need a technical partner before they can justify a full-time CTO or co-founder.
- Startups between seed and Series A whose first developers need direction, standards and a roadmap.
- SMEs adding AI or modernising software who need someone senior to lead the change without a six-figure hire.
- Companies with an agency they don't trust, or a product that's slipping, and need an independent technical owner.
- Founders after a CTO departure who need an interim CTO while they hire.
Why me
Most fractional CTOs are former CTOs who now advise. I still build. I founded GenAI Labs, run our own AI products in production (vehicle-history platforms, a multi-supplier data API, an AI health coach), and lead the engineers who build them. So my advice comes from things I've shipped this year, not from five years ago.
When the plan needs hands, my team at GenAI Labs can deliver it. You're never stuck with a strategy and nobody to execute it.
How engagements work
- Intro call. We talk through your product, team and the decision keeping you up at night. Book it here.
- Technical audit (first 2 weeks). Code, architecture, infrastructure, costs, team and process. You get a written findings report and a 90-day plan.
- Ongoing retainer. A fixed number of days or hours each month: leadership meetings, architecture, reviews, hiring and hands-on work where it's leverage.
- Hand-over when you're ready. When it's time for a full-time CTO, I help you hire them and hand over cleanly.
What clients say
“Laith has been amazing! I have received the best results that I have ever received from any other developers I have worked with. A true professional, and I look forward to continuing to work with him!”
“You are getting a seasoned expert with a clear understanding of what needs to be done.”
“The code quality was outstanding, adhering to standards, which ensured the project’s robustness and maintainability.”
Frequently asked questions
What does a fractional CTO cost?
It depends on the time commitment. Fractional CTOs usually work on a monthly retainer for a set number of days, which typically costs a fraction of a full-time CTO's salary, benefits and equity. I scope a fixed monthly retainer after the intro call so you know the cost up front. See the fractional CTO guide for market ranges.
How many hours a month does a fractional CTO work?
Most engagements are between 2 and 8 days a month. Early-stage startups often start with a technical audit and 2–4 days a month, then scale up around launches or fundraising.
What's the difference between a fractional CTO and a consultant?
A consultant advises on a specific problem and leaves. A fractional CTO owns technical outcomes over months: they sit in leadership meetings, make decisions, manage the developers and are accountable for delivery.
Can you work with my existing developers or agency?
Yes, that's the most common setup. I set standards, review their work, unblock them and translate between the business and the engineers. If you have no developers, GenAI Labs can provide a managed team.
Do you work with companies outside Jordan?
Yes. Most of my clients are in the UK, Europe, the US and the Gulf. I work remotely across time zones and speak English, Arabic and German.
Can a fractional CTO help us with AI?
That's my specialty. I help you decide where AI and LLMs create real value, choose between APIs and self-hosted models, and ship agents and AI features with proper evaluation, security and cost control.
Related services
Let's talk about what you're building
Book a call. Bring the problem, the product or the mess. You'll leave with a clear next step, whether or not we work together.