I'm a fractional CTO and writer. I help CEOs make their tech stack something investors trust—understandable, defensible, and aligned with how the business actually runs.
Background
I'm a seasoned CTO. I've raised money, built companies, and shut them down. The pattern that kept showing up was the same: teams needed a clear story about their technology—not more tools, but judgment that holds up under questions from investors, acquirers, and their own boards.
Today I work with founders who want that clarity. Boston-based; co-founded a company in the Techstars Boston cohort (2018). I've led engineering from two people to forty, lived through SOC2, cloud migrations, and more than a few pivots—so when I write or advise, it's grounded in what it feels like when the stack has to match the business plan.
When I'm not in client work, I'm building in public, scoring tools for the playbook, and testing ideas so the recommendations I share don't age into generic "best practices."
Pick what matches where you are—each path ties back to the same goal: a tech story you can defend when it matters.
How delivery, vendors, and debt read to investors, buyers, and boards—and how to tighten the narrative before it costs you leverage in a round or diligence.
Read insightsHonest tool picks from the playbook: when visual tools earn their place, when they become silent risk, and how to defend the choices in language a non-engineer CEO can repeat.
Open the playbookShipping Fractional.tools and documenting what breaks, what ships, and what I would do differently—so advice stays tied to real constraints, not theory.
Follow the buildHands-on work with founders and CTOs in transition—stack reviews, deeper engagements, and clarity when guessing wrong is expensive.
Work with meShort, practical notes on stack judgment, low-code reality, and what I'm seeing in the field—so you can explain your technology choices with confidence.
I won't spam or sell your info.
Karen Kelly
Founder & CEO
“Stephan and I work together frequently, and his collaborative nature is a huge plus. He brings clarity and practical solutions to our tech challenges, breaking down complex technical decisions into actionable steps. His ability to work alongside our team—rather than dictating solutions—has been invaluable. He understands growth-stage business challenges and provides guidance that aligns with both our immediate needs and long-term goals.”
Yvan Castilloux
CEO of Augusta Care
“Stephan led our SOC2 compliance planning with a budget-conscious approach that balanced risk reduction with operational reality. He assessed our tech stack and delivered a practical roadmap that addressed compliance requirements without breaking the bank. His executive-level guidance gave us confidence we could meet our obligations while maintaining growth momentum.”
Michelle Chao
COO of Phoenix Tailings
“Stephan worked with our team as we started to scale up and address security requirements. He assisted in our selection of security frameworks that matched our unique funding, IP, and cyber-security needs. His experience with growth-stage businesses provided us with options that matched our stage and immediate concerns. We hope to tap into his experience when our security requirements change.”
Jesse Marple
Solutions Architect at Brytebridge
“We brought Stephan in to accelerate delivery on a critical integration project. He executed in record time, providing our front-end teams with Just-in-Time API resources as we finalized email providers, payment gateways, and AWS infrastructure decisions. His practical approach delivered both working solutions and best practices for API testing, JWT security, and a framework our team could extend. He restored delivery cadence and helped us ship a critical initiative in 4 weeks—exactly the execution leadership we needed.”
Dan Zollmann
CEO & Founder of Qase
“Stephan's contribution to Qase has been extraordinary: he found ways to reduce platform spend by 80%, decrease data migration time by 90%, all while improving Qase's resilience and security. Even more incredible is how he achieved this: instead of dictating solutions, he actively coached and mentored our existing staff, helping them to identify and implement new, better approaches. It's also rare to find a CTO equally comfortable in both the boardroom and the trenches. I highly recommend Stephan to any growth-stage business looking to optimize costs, improve delivery, and scale their team effectively.”
