How I Help Startups Scale
Focused expertise in technology leadership, delivered fractionally. No long-term contracts. No bloated teams. Just senior-level impact where you need it most.
Build it right the first time
Technical Architecture & Strategy
Most startups don't fail because of bad ideas — they fail because of bad architecture decisions made under pressure. I help you avoid the expensive mistakes and build systems that scale.
- End-to-end architecture reviews and technology stack selection
- Scalability planning — from MVP to millions of users
- Monolith vs. microservices decisions based on your actual stage
- API design, database architecture, and infrastructure planning
- Technical debt assessment and remediation roadmaps
- Vendor evaluation and build-vs-buy analysis
Technical Architecture & Strategy
Replace headcount with intelligence
AI Transition Advisory
AI isn't a feature to bolt on — it's an operational transformation. I've led this transition myself, and I can guide you through it without the hype.
- AI readiness assessment for your organization
- Workflow automation and LLM integration strategy
- Team restructuring around AI-augmented processes
- Tool selection and custom AI pipeline development
- Measuring ROI on AI investments
- Training your team to work effectively with AI tools
AI Transition Advisory
Do more with less
Cost Optimization
I've run a production platform serving 190+ countries on $650/month AWS. I know what real cost optimization looks like — and it's not about cutting corners.
- Cloud infrastructure audit and right-sizing
- Team efficiency analysis and restructuring
- Eliminating redundant tools and services
- Optimizing CI/CD pipelines and deployment costs
- License consolidation and vendor negotiations
- Building lean development workflows
Cost Optimization
A technical partner who gets it
Founder Mental Stability
Being a technical founder is lonely. You're making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information, often without anyone who truly understands the technical implications. I've been there.
- Sounding board for major technical decisions
- Reality checks on timelines, budgets, and scope
- Conflict resolution between business and engineering
- Strategic planning without the emotional baggage
- Honest feedback — not what you want to hear, what you need to hear
- Navigating pivots, layoffs, and tough conversations
Founder Mental Stability
Real results from real AI transformation
AI in Action: The AppMaster Story
Staff Reduction
People Doing Work of 25
Tokens Processed Monthly
Platform Uptime Maintained
In 2025, I transitioned AppMaster.io from a 25-person team to a 2-person AI-augmented operation. Every function — engineering, QA, support, content — was restructured around AI workflows. The platform continued serving users in 190+ countries without any degradation in service.
The FCTO Model
Senior technical leadership without the full-time cost
Traditional Startup
- CEO / Founder
- VP of Engineering ($180-250K)
- 3-5 Senior Developers ($150-200K each)
- Product Manager ($120-160K)
- DevOps Engineer ($140-180K)
$800K - $1.4M / year
FCTO Model
- CEO / Founder
- Fractional CTO (fraction of full-time cost)
- 1 Senior Engineer
70% lower technical team cost
The FCTO model works because senior leadership multiplies output. One experienced architect makes better decisions than five mid-level developers debating in Slack.
Who This Is For
I work best with founders who are ready to move fast and think lean.
Seed-Stage Startups
Need architecture that scales without over-engineering. Want senior technical guidance without hiring a full-time CTO.
Growing Startups
Hit scaling challenges. Tech debt is slowing you down. Need someone who's been through hypergrowth to help navigate.
Pivoting Companies
Changing direction and need to rebuild the tech stack. Want to do it right this time with battle-tested guidance.
AI-Curious Organizations
Know AI is important but don't know where to start. Need practical guidance, not theoretical frameworks.
Let's Discuss Your Technical Strategy
Book a free 30-minute call. No pitch, no pressure — just a conversation about where you are and where you want to go.