This is the short version of the full fractional CTO guide — the definitional answer.
A fractional CTO is a senior technical executive (typically 12-20+ years experience) embedded part-time with a company to own technical strategy, architecture, and engineering leadership. Typical engagement: $10K-$25K/month for 1-2 days/week, 12-18 month commitments. Best fit: $1M-$30M ARR companies that need senior technical leadership without committing to a $500K+ full-time CTO hire.
Essentially a part-time CTO. Brings 12-20+ years of experience leading engineering teams and making strategic technical decisions, but works 1-2 days per week with multiple companies on retainer.
Same seniority, different scope. CTO is broader and more strategic (architecture, board credibility, technical strategy). VP Engineering is narrower and more operational (team management, sprint delivery).
Three profiles:
1. Pre-PMF startups needing technical co-founder substitute
2. Growth-stage companies between CTOs or before they can justify full-time
3. Scale companies needing strategic technical advisory without full-time hire
$10K-$25K/month for 1-2 days/week. Full-time equivalent: $500K-$700K all-in annually.
Full guide: /fractional-cto