Business priorities
Map the workflow, establish a baseline and choose the problem worth solving first.
Fractional CTO · Denver and remote
Fractional CTO services for businesses that are not tech companies.
You run a law firm, a CPA practice, a trades business or an agency. You do not need a startup CTO. You need a senior person who decides what technology to use, leads one improvement at a time and gets your team to adopt it.
From $2,500 a month. Initial 90-day engagement, written scope before kickoff.
What you get in the seat
- Someone accountable for software and AI decisions
- A ranked list of what to fix, keep and cancel
- One scoped improvement delivered and measured
- Vendor and MSP coordination
- Team training and a day-90 review
Denver, since 2011The AI practice of Innovation Theory
Senior people, directlyYou work with Phil and Martin, not a junior team
Prices on the pageFrom $2,500 a month, scoped in writing
Measured against a baselineWe agree how success is judged first
Cost, plainly
What a fractional CTO costs, and why ours costs less.
Most fractional CTO pricing assumes a part-time executive for a software company. We price for a service business: one workstream at a time, with delivery included on the middle plan.
| Option | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time CTO or IT director | $175,000+ median salary, before benefits | Technology is your product, or you run an in-house engineering team |
| Typical fractional CTO | $150–$250/hr, about $9,000–$15,000/mo at ~15 hrs/week | Startups and software teams needing part-time executive leadership |
| InTheory Advisory | $2,500/mo | Decisions, roadmap and vendor oversight; you implement |
| InTheory Lead + delivery | $5,000/mo | One priority workflow led, delivered and measured |
| InTheory Embedded | $7,000/mo | Several connected workflows across a larger team |
Sources: GoFractional: fractional CTO rates · Truvisory: fractional CTO cost · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Computer and information systems managers
When a traditional fractional CTO is the better buy: if you are building a software product, managing developers daily or raising venture funding. We will tell you if that is you.
The role
Three jobs most service businesses leave unowned.
Technology decisions get made by whoever has time. That is how you end up with fifteen tools and three spreadsheets that hold the real numbers.
Delivery leadership
Evaluate tools, design a usable solution and lead a defined implementation.
Team adoption
Train the people doing the work and review actual usage and performance.
How the first 90 days run
Diagnose
Review how the work happens today and rank the opportunities. Agree one pilot, its baseline and its acceptance criteria in writing.
Deliver
Build and test the scoped improvement with real examples and the people who will use it. Existing tools first, new ones only when they earn their place.
Measure
Support adoption, compare results with the baseline and agree what deserves investment next, including whether to stop.
Plans
For decisions and oversight
Advisory
$2,500 / month
$7,500 for the first 90 days
- Twice-monthly advisory sessions
- Opportunity and tool prioritization
- Vendor and roadmap oversight
- Implementation quoted separately
For a priority workflow
Lead + delivery
$5,000 / month
$15,000 for the first 90 days
- Weekly leadership sessions
- One scoped workstream at a time
- Team training and adoption support
- Baseline and performance review
For deeper team involvement
Embedded
$7,000 / month
$21,000 for the first 90 days
- Weekly leadership plus team sessions
- More delivery capacity, still scoped in writing
- Closer work with your team leads
- Agreed support and review rhythm
USD, billed monthly. Initial 90-day engagement with a written scope before kickoff. Software subscriptions, major custom builds and 24/7 support are budgeted separately. Not sure which fits? Take the 3-minute check.
Common questions
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
Marketplace data puts typical fractional CTOs at roughly $150–$250 an hour, or about $9,000–$15,000 a month at around 15 hours a week. InTheory plans run $2,500–$7,000 a month because we lead one scoped workstream for a service business rather than act as a part-time executive.
What does a fractional CTO do for a service business?
Decides which systems to keep, connect or cancel; picks the first improvement worth making; leads vendors or builders; and makes sure the team adopts the change. For a non-software company the job is operations and revenue, not code.
Fractional CTO or full-time hire?
Hire full time when technology is your product or you need daily leadership of an engineering team. For most 5–150 person service firms, a fractional lead covers the decisions and delivery at a fraction of a $175,000+ salary.
Is InTheory a fractional CTO for startups?
Not primarily. Most fractional CTOs in Denver focus on startups and software teams. We focus on established service businesses with recurring workflows, where the goal is better sales, retention and margin.
Can you work with our MSP or IT provider?
Yes. Your MSP keeps devices, security and help desk running. We focus on business workflows, software decisions and AI. We coordinate so responsibilities are clear.
Related: Fractional vs full-time CTO · Fractional CTO cost guide · What is a fractional CTO? · Fractional CTO in Denver
Next step
Bring one expensive workflow. Leave with a clear next step.
In 30 minutes we look at one recurring workflow, what it costs you today and whether there is a credible case to improve it. If there is not, we will say so.
Book a 30-minute workflow review
Not ready to talk? Take the 3-minute check
30 minutes with Phil or Martin. No technical brief, no pitch deck. Phil or Martin replies personally, usually within one business day.