Fractional CTO
Senior technical leadership, without the full-time hire.
You are running a growing company on systems that have gotten complicated, and the technology decisions are starting to outrun the people you have to make them. I step in as your senior technical leader, part time, so the calls that matter get made by someone who has made them before.
You have outgrown winging the technology decisions.
Most small and mid-sized companies reach a point where the technology stops being simple. The systems have grown, the team is making calls above their experience, and no one in the building has run this before. Good companies stall here. Not because the people are weak, but because nobody senior is steering the technical decisions that now carry real consequences.
What a fractional CTO does for you
I take ownership of the technology decisions that matter, so you are not guessing your way through them. I learn how your business actually works, then I lead the technical side with the same judgment a full-time chief would bring, at the fraction of time you actually need.
Make the hard calls
Build or buy, which system to fix and which to replace, when to scale and when to wait. I make these calls with you and explain the reasoning in plain terms.
Lead your developers
Whether you have one developer or a small team, I raise the bar through direction, code review, and honest feedback, so the work stays pointed at what the business needs.
Turn technology into clear choices
I translate technical tradeoffs into business decisions you can actually weigh, so you decide with confidence instead of taking someone's word for it.
Keep the work on track
The most expensive mistake is a team building fast in the wrong direction. I keep the effort aimed at the problems that move your company.
"When we began working together, he knew nothing about our business and we knew nothing about how to communicate what we needed to design a system from the ground up. Aaron listened patiently and over time we learned the language of one another's industry, though I must admit he became far more fluent in mine than I in his."
Lori Chavez
Partner
Philip Newcomer
Web App Developer
"Aaron is one of those people who is not just technically sharp, but also a great communicator, able to explain complex concepts in a way that's easily understandable."
Ron Gustinella
Software Developer
"Aaron's technical expertise is top-tier, and his teaching and speaking skills continue to impress."
Leadership that holds up over time
Technology is not a one-time project. It has to keep working as your business grows and changes. That steady direction is the rest of the job.
Own the architecture
Which systems to build on, what to fix, what to leave alone. I make these decisions with you and explain why.
Lead the team
I guide your developers through architecture, code review, hiring, and honest feedback.
Plan for what is next
Roadmaps tied to where your business is going, not just the work sitting in front of you.
Solve the right problems
I keep the work pointed at what actually moves the company, not the loudest request in the queue.
Why companies trust me with this
Good technical leadership runs on trust. I am calm, plain-spoken, and not interested in overselling or protecting an ego. What I tell you holds up, because I have spent twenty years building systems and leading the teams behind them.
Building and leading technical teams. The pattern recognition that comes from experience.
Developed across three companies. Hired, managed, mentored, and promoted.
"As a team lead, Aaron brought structure and calm to fast-moving projects. He kept conversations focused and inclusive, helped unblock teams quickly, and created space for junior engineers to take ownership. I always felt both supported and challenged in the best way."
Cameron Rice
Web Engineer
Jacob Arriola
Principal Software Engineer
"Aaron was a constant source of support, always patient and intentional in how he taught concepts like clean code, debugging, and systems thinking. He approaches challenges with calm confidence."
Kaitlyn Hennessy
Senior Software Engineer
"Aaron has outstanding interpersonal communication skills and leads by example. His experience is immediately evident, and his curiosity and adaptability set him apart."
How we work together
Some engagements are a focused fix: a system that has to get stable, a decision that has to go right, a project that needs direction. Others are ongoing technical leadership as your company grows. We scope it to what you are actually facing.
Is this you?
A good fit
- + You are growing and the technology decisions have outrun the experience on your team.
- + Your developers are capable, but no one is senior enough to tell you if they're building the right thing.
- + A system you do not fully trust runs something the business depends on, and it needs to become dependable.
- + Some technology decision keeps getting postponed because no one can own it.
- + You want senior technical leadership for the decisions that matter, without another executive salary on the books.
Not a fit
- − You want someone to rubber-stamp a decision you've already made. I'll tell you what I actually think, even when it isn't what you want to hear.
- − The cheapest possible pair of hands is what you're after. I lead technical decisions; I am not a seat to fill.
- − You believe the loudest voice in the room should win by default. I care about the right answer, not whose idea it was.
- − Someone in the building every day is what you need. That's a full-time role with its own seat, and I'll help you find the right person for it.
Let's talk about what you're facing.
Tell me where the technology is slowing you down. A system that keeps breaking, a team that needs direction, a decision you cannot afford to get wrong. We will figure out whether I am the right person in your corner.
Book a call