Permanent CTO
A permanent CTO is the right call when a business has found its shape and needs someone to own the technology strategy, architecture and culture for the long haul. It’s the deepest commitment: full-time, fully embedded, with the most say over multi-year direction. I’ve held permanent CTO roles at businesses from Series A fintech to an AIM-listed wellness company, and it’s the model that makes sense once a business knows what it’s building and needs someone accountable for building it well, for years, not months.
Fractional CTO
A fractional CTO is right for businesses that need strategic technology leadership, but not on a full-time basis. I work with multiple companies at once, dedicating a portion of my time to each. It gives a business senior technical judgement without the cost or commitment of a full-time executive, well suited to an earlier-stage company that needs direction more than day-to-day management.
Interim CTO
An interim CTO steps in during a period of transition: a departure, a merger, a gap before a permanent hire is found. The job is to maintain continuity, stabilise delivery and prepare the organisation for whoever comes next. It’s a short, intense engagement with a clear handover in mind from day one.
Part-time CTO
A part-time CTO works a fixed number of hours a week or month, but for one company only, unlike a fractional CTO, which splits time across several. It suits a business that needs consistent, ongoing technical leadership, just not at full-time volume or cost.
Which one fits?
None of these models is better than the others; they solve different problems. Permanent suits a business building for the long term. Fractional suits one that needs senior judgement spread thin. Interim suits a business in transition. Part-time suits one that needs consistency without full-time overhead. I’ve done all four, and the right starting question isn’t which title sounds best, it’s what the business actually needs right now.