The honest comparison
Full-time, agency,
Full-time, agency,
or fractional?
Here's the honest version — including when the answer isn't me. If technology is the whole company and you've got a dozen engineers, you need a full-time CTO. I'll tell you that on the first call.
| Fractional CTO (me) | Full-time CTO | Dev agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-in annual cost | ~$72k–$216k | $300k–$500k+ | Varies — often more than it looks |
| Time to start | Days | 2–4 months | Weeks |
| Owns decisions? | Yes | Yes | No — takes orders |
| Tells you when you're wrong? | Yes | Yes | Rarely |
| Equity / lock-in | None | 1–5% + contract | Contract |
| Right when… | You're pre-seed to ~Series A and need judgment more than headcount | You have 12+ engineers and technology is the company | You have clear specs and senior oversight already |
When NOT to hire me
When technology is the business
If technology is the core of your business and you've got more than a dozen engineers, you need a full-time CTO in the building. Hiring fractional at that stage is false economy — and I'll tell you this on the first call rather than take a fee I shouldn't.
When an agency is fine
When you already have someone steering
If you've got someone senior steering and you just need hands to build a well-defined thing, an agency is the cheaper tool. The trouble starts when there's no one steering — which is the exact gap I fill.