Fractional CTO
Independent technology leadership for product founders and small teams.
I work alongside founders and product leads on the technology decisions that don't fit on a Jira ticket — architecture, hiring, what to build next, where to slow down. No retainers, no fixed term.
Clear decisions
Sometimes the right call is to stop building and start cutting. I help you tell the difference.
Architecture that fits
Designs that match the company you actually are, not the one a Series-D playbook tells you to be.
Teams that hold
Process and culture work that keeps engineers shipping when you're not in the room.
How I help
Technical Advisory
An honest read on where you are — your stack, your team, your process — and where the friction is hiding. The output is a short list of decisions, not a forty-page slide deck.
- check Technical due diligence
- check Architecture review
- check Build-vs-buy decisions
- check Security and compliance
Engineering Leadership
Senior CTO support during transitions — between hires, after a founder steps back, or when an engineering manager needs someone to think with. Weekly cadence, no fixed term.
Process & Delivery
When the team is working hard but nothing seems to ship. I help you find the actual blocker — usually it's not the framework you're using — and put just enough process around it to fix it.
AI Integration Strategy
Where LLMs help, where they hurt, and what data you need to keep out of them. Most products need less AI than the LinkedIn discourse suggests.
Jacob Midtgaard-Olesen
I've spent the last fifteen years building and leading engineering teams inside product companies — from the first commit, through the chaotic middle, into more deliberate scaling.
These days I work alongside founders and product leaders on the technical questions that don't fit on a Jira ticket — when to slow down, what to retire, who to hire next, how to keep a system honest as it grows.
I prefer fewer meetings, fewer slides, and decisions that age well.
Get in touch
Let's talk.
Whether you want ongoing CTO support, a one-off review, or a quick sanity check on a decision — drop me a line. I read every message.