A senior technology voice at your leadership table. Without the full-time salary.
Most growing companies don't have a CTO. They have a patchwork of vendors, an overloaded IT person, and a CEO making technology decisions by gut feel. The Fractional CTO retainer changes that.
The gap in your technology leadership
Growing companies hit a wall where technology decisions start outpacing the leadership available to make them. The right answer is rarely a $300K+ full-time executive hire. It is an experienced technology advisor who owns the agenda, holds vendors accountable, and shows up at the table when it matters.
What we do
Four areas of fractional executive impact.
Vendor oversight
Every vendor proposal, contract, and renewal reviewed independently. No financial stake in what you buy.
Technology strategy
A prioritized roadmap tied to your business goals, not a list of technical projects nobody asked for.
Leadership communication
Technology decisions explained in business language to your board, investors, and leadership team.
Risk and compliance
Security posture, SOC 2 readiness, and cyber insurance requirements handled at the executive level, not delegated to your IT vendor.
Built for companies that have outgrown their current setup
Making technology decisions without a technical advisor at the table.
Managing IT vendors without the knowledge to hold them accountable.
Asking technology questions nobody on the leadership team can answer.
Choose Your Engagement
Three tiers. No long-term contract. Month-to-month.
| Feature | AdvisoryStarting at $2,500/month4 hrs/month | Most PopularEmbeddedStarting at $6,500/month8 hrs/month | StrategicStarting at $12,500/monthDedicated engagement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly strategy call | |||
| Written call summary & action items | |||
| Async decision support | |||
| New software & tool evaluationsIndependent assessment of any software tool or platform you are considering. Written recommendation included. | 2/quarter | As needed | Unlimited |
| Vendor contract & proposal review | 1/quarter | As needed | Unlimited |
| MSP or IT vendor invoice reviewLine-by-line review of your IT invoices to flag billing anomalies, duplicate charges, or services billed but not delivered. | 1/quarter | Quarterly | Ongoing |
| Annual technology environment reviewOnce-per-year written assessment of your full technology environment. Current state, gaps, and priorities. | |||
| Priority response access | |||
| Quarterly technology health summary | |||
| Quarterly technology budget review | |||
| Active vendor oversight & communicationWe communicate directly with your IT vendors on your behalf. Holds them accountable without requiring your involvement. | |||
| Security posture check-inReview of your current security controls, access management, and backup status. Written summary delivered after each check-in. | 2x/year | Ongoing | |
| Incident escalation pointFor active incidents affecting your business, you have a direct line to escalate and get independent guidance in real time. | Same business day | Immediate | |
| Attends leadership or board meetings | Quarterly | All relevant | |
| Owns technology agenda end-to-end | |||
| Weekly check-in cadence | |||
| SOC 2 & compliance program oversight | |||
| Technology roadmap ownership | |||
| Board-ready quarterly reporting | |||
| Primary CTO contact for board & investorsAvailable to communicate directly with your board, investors, or advisors on technology matters. Eliminates the translation layer between your leadership and your technology function. | |||
| Active vendor contract negotiationWe negotiate on your behalf, not just review. Covers new contracts, renewals, and mid-term renegotiations. | |||
| Hours per month | 4 hrs | 8 hrs | Dedicated |
This is not an advisory retainer. This is fractional executive ownership of your technology function.
A full-time CTO costs $200,000 to $350,000+ per year fully loaded, before benefits, equity, or the cost of a bad hire. The Embedded tier delivers consistent fractional executive oversight starting at $78,000 annualized. The Strategic tier provides dedicated executive ownership of your entire technology function, with no long-term contract and no recruiting risk.
All plans are month-to-month. Cancel any time.
* Executive search for CTO, VP Engineering, and IT Director roles is available as a separate retained engagement and is not included in any retainer tier. See Executive Search for details.
** M&A technical diligence is available as a separate project-based engagement scoped to the transaction. Contact us to discuss scope and timeline before engaging.
How engagements start
Discovery call
30 minutes. You describe what you're dealing with. We tell you honestly whether it's a fit and which tier makes sense.
Diagnostic
We review your current vendors, contracts, and technology environment. You get a clear picture of where you stand within 30 days.
Ongoing advisory
Monthly cadence, written deliverables, full accountability. Month-to-month. No long-term commitment required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore Related Services
Technology Strategy & Roadmaps
Actionable plans to update your systems and scale with confidence.
Risk, Security & Governance
Security leadership that protects the business without slowing it down.
Operational Optimization
Systems and process improvements that make your tools work for your team.
CTO-led executive search
If you need to place a technical leadership role rather than fill it fractionally, DoubleChecked runs retained executive search for CTO, VP Engineering, and IT Director roles. Every candidate evaluated by a working technology executive before you meet them.
CTO Warning Signs
5 Signs Your Company Has Outgrown Its Current Tech Setup
5 Signs Your Company Has Outgrown Its Current Tech Setup
A practical checklist for CEOs and founders managing technology without a dedicated executive.
- Technology decisions are made by gut feel, not by someone who owns the outcome
- Your IT spend is growing but nobody can explain where it goes
- A vendor, investor, or client has asked a technology question nobody could answer
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