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01 Engagement model

Fractional CTO for start-ups and scale-ups.

Short answer

As fractional CTO, I take on the technical leadership of your company part-time or for a defined period: architecture, team, security and due diligence readiness. The goal is the handover to a permanent CTO or to your team.

Ivo Schönberner explains a system diagram on a whiteboard to two founders in a bright loft
CTO · Whiteboard

01 Situations

When do you need a fractional CTO?

When technical leadership is needed quickly, but a full-time position does not fit yet or has not been filled yet.

  • There is no CTO
  • The CTO is leaving
  • The due diligence is coming

02 90 days

What happens in the first 90 days?

In the first 90 days, a reliable picture of the situation emerges, together with the first wave of decisions that the business feels immediately.

  • Days 1 to 30Capture the situation
  • Days 31 to 60Understand the situation, decide
  • Days 61 to 90Game plan: target architecture and roadmap

03 Investors

What do investors want to see in an IT due diligence?

Investors check whether the technology can carry the business model and whether the knowledge about it depends on more than one person.

Ivo Schönberner presents to a committee in a bright meeting room
Board · Decision paper

04 Formats

What can the collaboration look like?

Every format ends with a documented handover.

  • Fractionalone to three days per week
  • Interimfull-time for a transition period
  • Due diligence sprintbefore a financing round or transaction

05 Formats

Watch, listen, take away.

Film 04From ten people, IT is no longer a laptopIn production
Podcast Situation Picture · Episode 10The first 90 days as fractional CTOIn preparation
Download · Situation Briefing 06Situational Awareness from the perspective of founders and scale-upsIn preparation

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FAQ Answers

Questions about the fractional CTO.

What does a fractional CTO do?

A fractional CTO takes on the technical leadership of a company part-time or for a defined period. They are responsible for architecture, technology decisions, security and building the team, without the company having to hire a full-time executive immediately.

When is a fractional CTO worthwhile?

There are four typical situations: there is no CTO yet, the current CTO is leaving, a financing round or due diligence is coming up, or the platform no longer carries the growth. In all four cases, technical leadership is needed quickly, but not necessarily permanently.

How much time does Ivo Schönberner invest as fractional CTO?

That depends on the situation. One to three days per week or a monthly engagement with a fixed scope is usual. The framework is set in the initial conversation.

What is the difference between a fractional CTO and an interim CTO?

An interim CTO replaces a missing executive, usually full-time for a transition period. A fractional CTO works part-time, often over a longer period. Ivo Schönberner takes on both forms, depending on what the situation requires.

Does a fractional CTO help with an IT due diligence?

Yes. They prepare architecture, security, documentation and team so that investors can examine what they want to examine, and accompany the conversations with the reviewers.

Do you need technical leadership?

Thirty minutes, no presentation.

Ivo Schönberner on a lakeside promenade in the morning light