Not every company needs a full-time CTO. The honest answer depends on three things: your revenue stage, the complexity of your tech decisions, and whether the problem is strategic or operational.

Under $5M revenue: You probably need a strong technical co-founder, not a CTO.

$5M to $20M: This is the Fractional CTO sweet spot. You have real technology decisions to make but not enough complexity to justify a $250K+ full-time hire.

$20M and above: You likely need a full-time CTO, but a Fractional CTO can bridge the gap during search.

Book a session to get an honest read on your situation.