[07] PRACTICE
Shadow CTO.
Quiet, ongoing technical leadership.
A shadow CTO is what you call when you cannot — or should not — hire one yet. We sit alongside the founder, not in front of them. We help with hiring, architecture, vendor selection, and the structural calls that pay for themselves twice over by year-end.
What is in
the box.
- 01
A weekly working session with the founder. Agendas are short and written down.
- 02
Hiring: drafting JDs, screening senior candidates, sitting in on the final loops.
- 03
Architecture review on every major change, before the PR, not after.
- 04
Quiet representation — we will show up to the right meeting, and never to the wrong one.
- 05
An exit plan from day one: we leave when your in-house leader is ready, not before, not after.
Who this
is for.
- You have product and customers but no senior engineer in-house yet.
- You inherited a CTO title you did not want, and need a partner who has held it before.
- Your investors are asking the kind of technical questions you'd like a thoughtful adult in the room for.
- Coding the day-to-day. We can, but it's almost never the right use of the seat.
- On-call. We are not your pager rotation.
Engagement shape
- Engagement
- Monthly retainer
- Duration
- Quarterly minimum, 12-month typical
- Team
- Principal, one seat reserved
Indicative pricing — estimate, subject to change
Shadow CTO retainer
from $2,400 / month
Up to 30 hours. Discounted on a six-month commitment.
Figures are starting estimates, not quotes — final scope, taxes, and any third-party costs adjust the number. Every commission begins with a 30-minute conversation; we put a firm quote in writing within two working days.