Articles
Notes on running technology without a CTO.
Plain-English answers to the questions founders ask before they hire technical leadership: what things cost, when to hire, and how not to get burned.
What does a fractional CTO do?
A fractional CTO owns the technical decisions a founder should not be making alone. Here is the real job, week by week, and what it is not.
5 min read
Fractional CTO vs full-time CTO
The honest comparison: cost, speed, risk and what you give up either way. Plus the point at which a fractional CTO should hand over to a permanent hire.
4 min read
What does a fractional CTO cost in Australia?
Day rates, monthly retainers and subscriptions compared, with the pricing models that quietly work against you and the questions to ask before signing.
4 min read
When to hire a CTO for your startup
Nine signals that your business has outgrown running technology by committee, and the three that mean you should wait a little longer.
3 min read
Technical due diligence checklist
The checklist investors and acquirers work through, the findings that reprice a deal, and how to fix the expensive ones before anyone asks.
3 min read
How to choose a software development agency
How to read a six-figure quote, the contract terms that decide who owns what, and the warning signs that show up before you sign rather than after.
4 min read
How much does an MVP cost to build?
Realistic Australian ranges for a first product build, the five things that actually move the price, and how to get the same result for less.
4 min read
How to reduce cloud costs
The eight places cloud spend hides, what to cut in the first week, and how to stop the bill growing faster than revenue again.
4 min read
AI automation for small business
Where AI pays for itself in a small business, where it quietly does not, and how to run a two-week trial before committing to anything.
3 min read