Fractional CTO
A technology leader in your corner. Without the full-time salary.
A senior person who owns your technology a few days a month. They make the plan, pick the tools, keep vendors honest and make sure what gets built actually works. You get the judgment of a chief technology officer for a fraction of the cost of hiring one.
- A few days a month
- You own everything
- Month to month
Sound familiar?
Your business runs on technology. Nobody is in charge of it.
Most owners we meet are not short on tools. They are short on someone senior who can look at all of it, say what matters, and take the decisions off their plate.
Subscriptions, hosting and tools nobody remembers signing up for, and nobody can say which ones earn their keep.
Money spent, deadlines missed, and code nobody else can pick up. Now you do not know who to trust.
The website, the CRM, the calendar and the invoices all live apart, so your team types the same thing three times.
You can tell some of it would help. You cannot tell which part, or what it would cost to find out.
Passwords are shared, backups are a guess, and a former employee may still have the keys.
A new system, a custom app, a vendor contract. Expensive to get wrong, and you are deciding alone.
Every tool nobody owns is a small leak.
What a fractional CTO does
One person who sees the whole picture, and answers to you.
CTO stands for chief technology officer: the person in a company who decides what technology to use and makes sure it pays off. Fractional means you share them. You get the same senior judgment for the hours your business needs, by the month.
Why TechBeat
The advice and the build, under one roof.
Most fractional CTOs can tell you what to build and then hand you off to somebody else to build it. We already build the websites, apps and systems small businesses run on, so the plan and the work never get lost between two companies.
Websites, apps and CRMs, already proven
Booking, payments, client records and portals are built and running on real platforms like AgentFoundry and SAVEL. When your plan calls for one, it does not start from scratch.
What we buildFifteen years of software testing
Quality is where most builds quietly fail. Ours is led by someone who has spent fifteen years testing software for a living, so releases are checked before your customers find the problems.
See our launch checklistHonest, even when it costs us the work
If a $20 tool beats a custom build, you will hear it from us. Every account and line of code is yours, in writing, whoever builds it.
See our workYour first 90 days
From not knowing what you have, to a plan that is already working.
- 1
Days 1 to 30
See everything
We sit down with you and your team, then go through every system, vendor, login and bill.
- A plain-English report on where your technology stands
- Risks ranked by what they could cost you
- Quick wins fixed on the spot
- 2
Days 31 to 60
Make the plan
A roadmap tied to what the business is trying to do this year, not to what is new in tech.
- What to build, buy, keep and cancel, in order
- A budget you can plan around
- The top risks closed
- 3
Days 61 to 90
Ship and settle in
The first piece of the plan goes live, tested properly, and a steady monthly rhythm takes over.
- Something real launched and working
- A monthly check-in with numbers you understand
- Everything written down and in your name
Ways to work together
Start small. Add more when it is paying for itself.
Each one is priced by the month and given to you in writing after a short call. You know the hours and the price before anything starts, and it is month to month.
Technology checkup
One time, about two weeks. The clearest picture you have ever had of your technology.
- A review of every system, vendor, login and bill
- A written report with risks ranked by cost
- A first 90-day plan you can act on with or without us
- A walkthrough call to go over all of it
Covers the review and the plan. Fixing and building are separate.
Ask about a checkupTechnology advisor
A set number of hours every month, and a senior person to call before you sign anything.
- A monthly planning call and a running roadmap
- Vendor and contract reviews before you commit
- Answers on big decisions within one business day
- A quarterly plain-English report on cost, risk and progress
Covers direction and oversight. Builds are quoted on their own.
Ask about an advisorHands-on CTO
More hours each month, for a business in the middle of a real build or a big change.
- Everything in Technology advisor
- Leads the build, whether TechBeat or another team does the work
- Testing on every release before your customers see it
- Weekly check-ins, and a voice for you with investors, lenders or partners
Covers leadership of the build. The build itself is priced separately.
Ask about a hands-on CTOHow it compares
Senior judgment, without hiring an executive.
| TechBeat fractional CTO | Full-time CTO | Agency | Freelancer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior judgment on every decision | Yes | Yes | Sometimes | Rarely |
| Cost | A monthly fee | $300,000 or more a year | By the project | By the hour |
| Can get it built too | Yes, in the same house | Needs a team | Yes | Yes, as told |
| Stays with you after launch | Yes | Yes | Until the project ends | Until the task ends |
| Tells you not to build something | Yes | Yes | Rarely | Rarely |
| Ready to start | Within weeks | Months to hire | Weeks | Days |
Questions owners ask
Straight answers.
Anything else, ask us. A person reads every message.
I do not run a tech company. Do I really need a CTO?
If software runs your sales, bookings, payments or customer records, someone should own the decisions about it. For most small businesses that is a few hours a month, not a hire. That is exactly what this is.
Will you just tell me to buy what TechBeat sells?
No, and we would rather say it out loud than leave you wondering. When an off-the-shelf tool or another company is the better answer, we will say so and help you hire them. You own every account, login and line of code, in writing, whoever builds it.
How much time will I actually get?
The hours, how fast we answer, and what happens in an emergency are all written down before anything starts. You will never have to wonder whether you are using too much of us.
Do you write the code yourselves?
Sometimes. TechBeat builds websites, apps and CRMs, so when the plan calls for a build we can do it. The CTO role itself is direction and oversight: making sure whatever gets built, by anyone, is the right thing and works.
What does it cost?
Each way of working is priced by the month and given to you in writing after a short call, so you know the hours and the price before anything starts. A full-time CTO costs $300,000 or more a year; this is a fraction of that, sized to what your business needs.
What if it is not working out?
It is month to month. Because everything is documented and in your name, you can walk away with all of it, and the next person can pick it up without starting over.
Let’s talk
Tell us what keeps you up at night. We will tell you honestly what it needs.
A short call, no charge and no sales sequence. If a fractional CTO is not the right fit, we will say so and point you to what is.