Frequently Asked Questions

A Fractional CTO is a part-time senior technology executive who provides strategic leadership to guide your startup's technology direction, team development, and infrastructure growth, without the need for a full-time hire. This role brings top-tier expertise tailored to your business needs, ensuring cost-effective and flexible leadership.

The goal of a Fractional CTO at Smirnov Labs is to form a strong partnership with the CEO and the existing C-suite team, working collaboratively to build a robust internal technology framework. This includes mentoring your technical talent, guiding the development of scalable infrastructure, and assisting in the recruitment of a full-time CTO when the time is right.

As your startup matures, the fCTO transitions into an advisory role, ensuring a smooth handover while continuing to support long-term technical success and strategic alignment with business objectives. We work to make ourselves obsolete by building your internal capabilities.

Beyond technical leadership, a Fractional CTO at Smirnov Labs partners closely with the CEO, offering founder coaching, business strategy development, and creating comprehensive technical roadmaps. This partnership ensures that your technology strategy is fully aligned with your broader business goals.

A Fractional CTO provides strategic clarity, reduces technical debt, and improves team productivity, all while keeping costs manageable. By implementing best practices and future-proofing your tech stack, an fCTO positions your startup for sustained growth and success.

Our Fractional CTOs work closely with your existing team, fostering a collaborative environment and ensuring seamless knowledge transfer. They act as both a leader and mentor, driving technical excellence and empowering your team to achieve their full potential.

The time commitment of a Fractional CTO is flexible and tailored to your unique business needs. This can range from periodic check-ins for strategic oversight to more hands-on involvement for critical projects.

Some startups may only need occasional guidance, while others might require consistent support of 10-20 hours per week. At Smirnov Labs, we adapt our engagement to provide the right level of support, ensuring high-impact involvement that aligns with your growth and operational demands.

Consider hiring a Fractional CTO when your startup requires expert technical leadership but isn't ready for a full-time CTO. This is particularly beneficial during:

• Periods of rapid growth
• Significant technology transitions or architecture decisions
• Preparation for major funding rounds (technical due diligence)
• Building your first engineering team
• Scaling existing infrastructure
• When your technical co-founder needs strategic support

Smirnov Labs brings deep technical expertise and strategic insight, offering leadership that drives innovation and operational efficiency. Our Fractional CTOs not only oversee technology strategy but also mentor teams, align technical goals with business objectives, and ensure long-term scalability.

What sets us apart:

• Proven Experience: 5 years at Google + startup CTO experience
• Hands-On + Strategic: We don't just advise—we execute
• Client-First Philosophy: We work to make ourselves obsolete by building your capabilities
• Silicon Valley Standards: Best practices from the world's leading tech companies
• Startup Velocity: Move fast without breaking things

Deliverables vary based on your engagement model, but typically include:

• Technology strategy and roadmap documents
• Architecture diagrams and decision records
• Technical due diligence reports for investors
• Hiring plans and interview frameworks
• Infrastructure design and implementation
• Hands-on team leadership and management
• Team process documentation and best practices
• Regular progress reports and metrics dashboards
• Code reviews and technical assessments

All engagements include clear milestones and deliverables defined upfront, with regular check-ins to ensure alignment.

Getting started is simple:

1. Book a free 30-minute consultation: We'll discuss your challenges, goals, and current technology situation. Schedule here
2. Assessment: If there's a fit, we'll do a deeper dive into your technology stack and business objectives.
3. Proposal: We'll provide a clear engagement plan with scope, deliverables, timeline, and pricing.
4. Kickoff: Once aligned, we start working together—typically within 1-2 weeks.

No commitment required for the initial consultation. We'll give you honest feedback on whether fractional CTO services are the right fit for your current stage.