Fractional CTO for Funded Startups
Stop Paying for Prototypes That Need Rebuilding.
I architect, code, and ship your product - AI on purpose, not on autopilot, with 18 years of engineering judgment as the quality filter. You get investor-ready architecture, not a prototype that costs $200K to redo.
- 3 products built from zero to launch - across hospitality, automotive, and insurance
- One senior CTO from day one to production - no handoffs, no team bloat
- Built to hand off - clean code, standard stack, zero lock-in
Investor-Ready
Architecture from Day One
3 Startups
Built from Scratch
Top 3%
Talent on Upwork
18 Years
Building Software Products
Platforms Built from Scratch
Three startups built from scratch, from zero codebase to production.
AI-Powered Insurance CRM with SOC2 + HIPAA Compliance
The Challenge
The platform needed per-agency deployments - fully isolated environments for independent insurance agencies. It had to support omni-channel communication (phone, video, email, chat) and enable an automated, agent-less insurance purchasing experience. The architecture had to account for SOC2 and HIPAA requirements at the infrastructure level.
Solution
As lead architect through Rendered Source, I designed the platform architecture and selected the tech stack. Together with the team, we built a scalable omni-channel CRM tailored to the insurance industry.
SOC2 & HIPAA in production
MVP in 4 months
AI Chat Bot
Omni-channel
Automated Car Service Booking Platform
The Challenge
This startup aimed to introduce a unique solution in a market with no existing alternatives. A significant challenge was the absence of a comprehensive spare parts database supporting thousands of car modifications. The system needed to manage real-time pricing for every spare part, requiring integrations with multiple spare part sellers handling millions of articles and their prices in real-time. The platform needed to offer a convenient interface for repair shops to manage their services and set their prices. Price calculation had to be fast to ensure that the user experience felt as seamless as booking a hotel.
Solution
A multifaceted platform covering all aspects of the booking process was developed. It provided convenient interfaces for all stakeholders: customers, repair shop owners, spare part experts, and marketing experts.
10 supplier APIs integrated
6 web applications built
MVP in 6 months incl. pivot
Instant price calculation engine
Lean Startup Execution: MVP in 3 Months on Minimal Budget
The Challenge
Build a complete hotel booking startup on a tight budget and timeline, serving two audiences: customers looking for a seamless booking experience, and hotel owners needing tools to manage their properties.
Solution
Selected the tech stack, assembled a lean team of 2 developers, and ran bi-weekly Agile sprints. Delivered MVP in 3 months to validate the product and support fundraising, then completed the full platform in 12 months.
MVP in 3 months
Full platform in 12 months
4 modules: booking, CMS, CRM, dashboards
Team of 2 developers
How I Work with Founders
Three engagement models designed for different stages of your startup journey.
For founders validating their idea or existing code
Architecture Review
$3,000-$5,000
Fixed price · 2-3 weeks
A complete technical assessment: architecture document, technology stack recommendation, MVP roadmap, team hiring plan, and infrastructure cost projection. For regulated industries, includes a compliance gap analysis. Also works as an investor-readiness audit for existing prototypes. Fee applies to first month if we proceed to build.
- ✓Technical architecture document
- ✓MVP scope & 90-day roadmap
- ✓Team hiring plan & infrastructure cost projection
- ✓Investor-readiness assessment
For founders ready to build
0→1 Platform Build
$10,000-$15,000/mo
Retainer · 10-20 hrs/week
Hands-on fractional CTO: I architect the platform, build and lead the dev team, and establish processes. I build production-ready products - not prototypes that need rescue engineering six months later. When you need more hands, I bring in engineers from my company Softwisery. I don’t hand you off. I lead the team directly.
- ✓Production-ready MVP
- ✓Assembled & functioning dev team (2-5 people)
- ✓Investor-ready architecture from day one
- ✓Automated testing & deployment pipeline
For post-launch teams
Ongoing Strategic CTO
$6,000-$10,000/mo
Retainer · 5-8 hrs/week
Post-launch strategic oversight: architecture decisions, team mentorship, vendor management, and investor-facing technical due diligence support. For regulated industries, includes compliance monitoring.
- ✓Architecture & scalability decisions
- ✓Team mentorship & code review
- ✓Investor due diligence support
- ✓Vendor evaluation & management
Pre-seed founders: hybrid retainer + equity arrangements available.
Engineering Philosophy
Build what you need to win your market today, not over-engineered solutions for imaginary scale problems.
“The best is the enemy of the good.”
— Voltaire, and every CTO who shipped on time
I follow KISS (Keep It Simple) and YAGNI (You Ain't Gonna Need It) to deliver practical solutions for your current stage. This doesn't mean cutting corners. It's about finding the right balance between quality and speed, which varies project to project.
This includes compliance. I design architecture with SOC2 and HIPAA readiness built in from the start - so certification is a validation step, not a retrofit project.
Pitfalls I Help You Avoid
Early-stage freedom tempts engineers to overengineer. These tendencies burn runway and delay launch:
Building frameworks instead of features
Your users don't care about your architecture. They care if it works.
Chasing perfect code and overusing patterns
Clean code matters, but shipping matters more at your stage.
Demanding 100% test coverage from day one
Test what breaks, not what's obvious. Coverage targets burn runway.
Adopting hyped tech without justification
Boring technology that ships beats cutting-edge that doesn't.
Trusting AI-generated code without review
AI writes code fast. Studies show it introduces security vulnerabilities in nearly half of cases. Speed without judgment is just faster failure.
Why I Do This
Fractional CTO for Funded Startups
Most founders face the same trap: ship fast with AI tools and end up with a prototype that can't survive due diligence. Or hire a team of five and burn runway before finding product-market fit. I built my practice around the third option - one senior CTO who ships production-quality platforms from scratch.
Over 18 years in software engineering, I've launched three startups from scratch - platforms in hospitality (MVP in 3 months), automotive (10 supplier integrations, real-time pricing), and insurance (HIPAA/SOC2-ready architecture, ML-powered pipeline scoring and AI chatbot).
When you hire me, I handle architecture, technology decisions, and development process - so you stop managing technology and start running your business. When the project needs more hands, I bring in engineers from my company Softwisery's vetted network. I don't hand you off to a project manager. I lead the team directly.
What You Get
- Architecture and technology decisions - stop debating stacks and start building
- Production-quality platforms from day one - not prototypes that need a rewrite at scale
- When you need a team: I build, onboard, and lead engineering teams directly - no handoffs
Technical Capabilities
Serving Founders Globally
Currently in APAC, flexible on location and timezone. Working with founders across:
Common Questions from Founders
Questions founders ask when evaluating fractional CTO leadership.
Yes, and without giving up 20-30% equity. A fractional CTO handles the same responsibilities: architecture decisions, tech stack selection, building the dev team, and hands-on technical direction. The difference is you pay for the hours you need instead of diluting ownership. I’ve built three startup platforms from zero to production - making architecture and stack decisions from day one on each.
By designing compliance into the architecture from Day 1, not bolting it on after launch. Most startups treat compliance as a separate project that costs $100K+ and takes 12-18 months. The alternative is selecting infrastructure that’s compliance-ready from the start: isolated environments, encrypted data stores, identity management with audit trails. I’ve designed platform architecture built for SOC2 and HIPAA certification - the key is making these decisions at the infrastructure level before writing application code.
That’s exactly where I usually come in. I’ve built engineering teams at multiple startups from scratch. I define the roles you actually need, recruit through a vetted network of engineers and designers I’ve worked with across projects, and set up architecture standards, code review processes, and sprint planning from Day 1 so the team ships reliably from the start.
Probably not - and that’s normal. AI tools are great for getting a working prototype fast, but research shows nearly half of AI-generated code contains security vulnerabilities, and most AI-built apps skip the architecture decisions that matter at scale: data isolation, error handling, observability, CI/CD. The Architecture Review is designed exactly for this situation. You get a clear picture of what’s solid, what needs fixing, and what the path to production looks like.
It depends on scope. A focused SaaS product can ship an MVP in 6-8 weeks. A platform with complex integrations, compliance requirements, or multiple user types takes 3-4 months. The real question isn’t speed - it’s whether what you ship can survive real users, real traffic, and investor due diligence. Every engagement starts with an Architecture Review that produces a realistic roadmap before any code is written.
You lean on someone who has made this decision multiple times for startups. The right stack for most platforms is boring and proven: a mature back-end framework, a reliable relational database, a well-supported front-end, and cloud infrastructure that scales when you need it to. The goal is not the trendiest technology - it’s what gets you to market reliably.
Yes. The Architecture Review works for existing codebases - whether built with AI tools, a dev agency, or an offshore team. You get a clear picture of what’s investor-ready, what needs fixing, and what it takes to get to production.
Trusted by Startup Founders
Verified reviews from founders I've worked with directly.
“Michael is in the highest tier of people I've worked with in my career. He's demonstrated consistently great technical skills and excellent judgement. He's very mindful of budget, while ensuring a quality solution is delivered. I really couldn't recommend him enough.”
“Michael turned out to be not only a diligent full-stack software engineer with a strong background and consistent track record, but a very nice guy to communicate with. Very stress-resistant, always even-tempered, responsive, perfect fit for a startup environment. He is a real pro.”
“Michael is a real professional with a huge and diverse amount of experience. It was a totally smooth experience: he made all the stuff needed thoroughly and on time, communication was easy and I can't remember any misunderstandings. He will really empower your team.”
Ready to Build Your Platform?
Currently accepting 2 new clients for Q2 2026. Book a free strategy session where we'll assess your needs, map your architecture, and get a realistic roadmap.
30 minutes. No obligation. You'll leave with a clear technical next step.