Fractional CTO for small Shopify brands

Between "I'll figure it out myself" and hiring a VP of Engineering, there's a big gap. A fractional CTO fills it: a senior technical partner for a few hours a month who knows your store, your apps and your business, and is there when you need a decision or a fix.

Signs you're ready

• You pay for apps nobody's sure you still use, and you can't tell which ones are worth it.
• A developer built something custom, moved on, and now nobody can change it.
• Vendors pitch you tools, and you have no one technical to ask.
• Fulfillment or inventory runs on spreadsheets and the owner's memory.
• Something breaks on a Saturday and you don't know who to call.

What I do in a typical month

• Keep things running. Maintain your custom apps and integrations, and handle Shopify API changes before they break something.
• Fix the workflow. Small, steady improvements to shipping, inventory and fulfillment, prioritized by what costs you the most time.
• Own the roadmap. What to build next, what to buy instead, and what to leave alone.
• Be your technical voice. Join vendor calls, review quotes and proposals, and translate the jargon.
• Build when it's worth it. New features, integrations and reports when off-the-shelf won't do.

What it isn't

It isn't a full-time hire, a dev shop that disappears after launch, or someone who'll sell you a platform migration you don't need. Most of the value is in good decisions and small fixes that compound.

How to start

Most brands start with an AI & Tech Assessment, a one-time review with a written report and 3 to 5 prioritized fixes. If it makes sense to keep going, we set up a retainer sized to what you actually need. More background in What a fractional CTO actually does for a small brand.

Questions

How is a fractional CTO different from a freelancer?

A freelancer builds what you ask for. A fractional CTO also helps you decide what to build, which vendors to use, and what to leave alone, then stays around to keep it running.

What size of brand is this for?

Owner-run Shopify brands from a few hundred thousand to a few million a year in revenue that have outgrown default tools but don't need a full-time technical hire.

What does it cost?

It depends on scope, from keeping a couple of custom apps running to ongoing builds with quarterly planning. I scope it with you on a short intro call, and many brands start with a one-time AI & Tech Assessment.