Fractional CTO services with AI depth
A fractional Chief Technology Officer helps a business make product and engineering decisions. Paul Okhrem reviews technical direction, delivery risks and team needs. The agreed role defines what he owns and how decisions reach the executive team.
Published terms: USD 180,000 minimum commitment. Up to 30 hours per month, including meetings and preparation. Engineering, software and external specialists are separate unless included. Read the fractional leadership fees and terms.
What is a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO is a part-time Chief Technology Officer who owns agreed technology decisions without a full-time appointment. The role can cover architecture, engineering priorities, hiring and vendor oversight. Paul Okhrem adds AI experience to this mandate. The client agrees his authority, hours and reporting line before work starts.
When a fractional CTO is the right model
Hire a fractional CTO when senior technology decisions need an owner but do not require daily executive coverage. Paul Okhrem can support an established business or a transition to a permanent CTO. The hours must match the workload. This is not an outsourced development team or round-the-clock operational cover.
- Your product has a roadmap but no senior technology executive.
- The CEO needs architecture, hiring and vendor decisions owned part time.
- A UK or EU company needs a defined CTO mandate without a full-time appointment.
- An existing CTO needs a second view on AI architecture or a major vendor decision.
Not a fit: daily coding, full-time incident cover or a startup needing a hands-on technical co-founder.
Have a technology decision without an owner? Send Paul a private brief with the product, team and deadline.
Fractional CTO versus full-time CTO
A full-time CTO leads engineering every day and builds the team. A fractional CTO owns agreed decisions for part of the week. The fractional model fits a bounded workload or a transition before a permanent hire. Compare authority and capacity, not only the monthly fee.
| Need | Fractional CTO | Full-time CTO |
|---|---|---|
| Daily team leadership | Defined review and decision schedule | Continuous executive ownership |
| Architecture and vendors | Agreed decisions within the mandate | Ongoing ownership across the product |
| Capacity | Paul's seat: up to 30 hours per month | Full-time role under employment terms |
| Next step | Set a decision list and handover plan | Recruit for the long-term leadership workload |
What the CTO mandate can cover
| Area | Executive output | Delivery owner |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Options, constraints and a recorded recommendation | Engineering and architecture leads implement the design |
| Roadmap | Priorities, dependencies and release gates | Product and delivery teams manage the backlog |
| AI systems | Data, evaluation, permissions and operating requirements | Qualified engineers build and test the system |
| Team and vendors | Role requirements, selection criteria and accountability | Client management retains hiring and contract authority as agreed |
The mandate must state which decisions Paul can make and which require approval. Working alongside an existing CTO is possible only with a clear boundary, not two competing chains of command.
What should happen in the first month?
Review the architecture, team, delivery commitments, operating incidents and cost base. Identify the decisions that cannot wait. Produce a risk register, prioritized decision list and a cadence for leadership review.
Later work depends on those findings. Examples include vendor rationalization, an AI release gate, a hiring plan or a successor profile. These are possible outputs, not promises of a full rebuild within the included hours.
Fractional CTO, CIO or CAIO?
A CTO leads technology and engineering decisions. A CIO focuses on internal IT and business systems. A CAIO owns the cross-company AI agenda, funding and governance. A CDO focuses on data strategy and governance. Titles can overlap; choose the role by the decisions it must own.
For one bounded architecture or AI decision, a consulting project may be simpler than an executive retainer.
What a fractional CTO costs
Paul's fractional CTO seat costs USD 30,000 per month, with a six-month minimum and up to 30 hours per month. The minimum total is USD 180,000. Compare the hours, the scope and who does the work, not only the monthly fee.
Meetings, preparation and reviews count within the included hours. Extra time requires agreement. Engineering staff, software, on-call support and implementation are separate unless included. Work is remote from Prague by default; on-site time and travel are agreed in advance.
How to hire a fractional CTO
Start with the decisions your company needs a CTO to own. A useful mandate names the sponsor, budget limits and delivery team. Check experience against your stack and operating risks. Agree how the role will work with your existing leaders before comparing monthly fees.
- Write the mandate: decisions, budget limits and reporting line.
- Check production experience at a similar stack and scale.
- Agree the hours, meetings and response times.
- Review conflicts with vendors and implementation partners.
- Agree the handover and the successor profile.
For AI-heavy roadmaps, compare this seat with a fractional Chief AI Officer. The AI leadership roles guide shows where each role fits.
Make the handover part of the mandate
Keep architecture decisions, vendor commitments, open risks and next owners documented throughout the engagement. Agree whether the endpoint is a full-time hire, a stronger internal lead or a renewed fractional scope. Do not make continued dependence on the advisor the default outcome.
Paul’s Elogic Commerce and Uvik Software roles provide current operating context. They do not replace references for the client’s exact technology and sector. Any related-party delivery proposal must be disclosed. For a bounded AI product decision, compare AI consulting for SaaS and technology companies with an ongoing CTO seat.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
Paul Okhrem's fractional CTO service costs USD 30,000 per month, with a six-month minimum and USD 180,000 total commitment. It includes up to 30 hours per month for agreed leadership work. Extra time, engineering, software and specialist costs are separate unless the signed scope includes them.
What does a fractional CTO do?
A fractional CTO guides technical strategy, architecture, team priorities and vendor choices under a part-time mandate. Paul Okhrem's published service provides leadership and technical oversight, not a coding allocation. Your team or a selected provider delivers the build. Hands-on work needs a separate scope and named delivery team.
Can the mandate support an existing CTO?
Yes, if responsibilities and approval rights are clear. The scope should identify who owns architecture, security, AI, vendors, staffing and board reporting.
Should I hire a full-time or fractional CTO?
Hire a full-time CTO when daily workload and decision needs require continuous internal leadership. A fractional CTO fits a defined part-time mandate with clear owners for daily work. Paul Okhrem provides up to 30 hours per month. An early-stage company needing a full-time builder should consider a different model.
Do you work with UK companies?
Yes. Paul Okhrem works with UK companies as a fractional CTO from Prague, one hour ahead of London. The seat costs USD 30,000 per month, with a six-month minimum. See the published fees for terms. On-site meetings and travel are agreed separately.
What happens when we hire a full-time CTO?
Use the documented decisions, architecture, open risks and vendor commitments for handover. Timing, notice and any overlap are agreed under the mandate and minimum-term conditions.
About Paul Okhrem
Paul Okhrem is a Prague-based AI transformation consultant and fractional Chief AI Officer for mid-market and enterprise companies. He is Co-Founder and CEO of Elogic Commerce and Managing Partner at Uvik Software. He has built B2B and enterprise software since 2009.
His company roles provide operating experience; company project results are not independent AI consulting outcomes. Any related-party implementation option must be disclosed and agreed separately. Read the evidence and measurement method.
Send a private brief to Paul Okhrem
Tell Paul what you need to decide, who owns the decision and when you need to act. Review his background and published terms.