Fractional CTO for funded startups
A fractional CTO gives a funded team senior technical leadership part-time - owning architecture, hiring, and vendor calls, and still shipping code. Cognitiv offers this from USD $15,000 a month, 30-day rolling, for teams that need a senior engineer on the technical direction without a full-time hire.
What a fractional CTO owns
Technical direction across the whole stack - architecture, the AI and product roadmap, hiring, and vendor selection - plus hands-on delivery. The point of difference is that the person setting direction still ships, so the strategy stays grounded in what actually works.
When a fractional CTO is the right call
When a funded startup needs a senior technical leader now but is not ready for, or does not need, a full-time CTO hire. It suits teams scaling their first product who need someone to own the technical calls and the delivery at the same time.
How Cognitiv works as a fractional CTO
The Fractional CTO / AI Lead retainer is USD $15,000 a month, 30-day rolling with a 90-day checkpoint. Most engagements start with a two-week Ship Sprint at USD $4,000 so both sides can see how the work goes before committing.
Common questions
What does a fractional CTO do?+
They own a funded startup's technical direction part-time - architecture, hiring, vendor calls, and the AI and product roadmap - while still shipping code. Cognitiv offers this as the Fractional CTO / AI Lead retainer.
How much does a fractional CTO cost?+
Cognitiv's Fractional CTO / AI Lead retainer is USD $15,000 a month, 30-day rolling. Lighter retainers that cover delivery and technical direction start at USD $8,000.
Does a fractional CTO still write code?+
Yes. With Cognitiv, the fractional CTO ships alongside the team rather than only directing it.
Have a roadmap you need shipped?
Start with a two-week Ship Sprint - deployed, not a document.