Andreas
CEO & Founding Partner
from Belgium 🇧🇪
CTO as a Service for SaaS startups and scale-ups
Unlock the power of CTO as a Service for your SaaS startup. Our CTOs in residence offer tailored leadership, mentoring for tech teams, and strategic guidance to help you scale with confidence.
CTO as a Service (often called Fractional CTO or Virtual CTO) lets you tap into experienced technical leadership on-demand, without hiring a full-time CTO.
For SaaS founders and startup CEOs, this means gaining a seasoned Chief Technology Officer's expertise in a flexible, cost-effective way. You get the strategic vision and mentorship of a CTO when you need it, and only pay for what you use, just like a cloud service for leadership talent.
As a founder of a growing SaaS company, you've likely experienced how your role evolves as the business scales. Gone are the days of your technical co-founder coding in the garage. Now, you're managing multiple people, facing operational challenges, and at times wishing your tech team could move a bit faster. You care deeply about your product, and you want your team to feel the same way. It's your baby!
At some point, though, the idea of letting someone external make critical technical and strategic decisions might feel daunting, maybe even impossible. However, a second opinion could be exactly what your product needs to thrive.
Why CTO-as-a-Service is more than cost savings
You've probably read that hiring a CTO-as-a-Service (CaaS) is a more cost-effective option. While that may be true in some cases, there are even more compelling reasons why your company can benefit from a Fractional CTO. Consider the value of having a fresh perspective on outdated processes, getting expert support in delivering a clear vision, or leveraging a seasoned CTO's experience backed by skilled engineers. Plus, a Fractional CTO can help optimize your costs by scaling their involvement when your team has lighter workloads
Examples of work our CTOs in residence have done with our clients recently
Fearless honesty, when you need it
CTO-as-a-Service (CaaS) provides authoritative support when you need it most. At madewithlove, our CTOs in residence are not working alone, they're backed by a team of skilled engineering managers and senior staff engineers, ready to assist with the toughest technical challenges behind the scenes. One of our core values is fearless honesty: we speak the truth, even when it's difficult to hear. This transparency is key, as we bridge the gap between technical and non-technical teams.
Our CTOs embody this value every day, ensuring that you receive honest, straightforward guidance, no matter the challenge at hand.
What is CTO as a Service (CaaS)?
CTO as a Service is a model where a company outsources the role of a Chief Technology Officer on a flexible, part-time basis. Instead of employing a full-time CTO (with the hefty salary and commitment that entails), you access a highly experienced tech leader "as a service."
This external CTO works with your business on your terms, a few days per week or on-call for specific projects, to provide technology strategy and team leadership. Essentially, CaaS offers startups the expertise of a CTO without the need for a full-time executive.
An external or interim CTO will integrate with your team part-time, contributing guidance on product development, engineering processes, architecture, and more. They focus on aligning tech initiatives with your business goals, ensuring you're building the right product in the right way.
Unlike a consultant who delivers a report and disappears, a CTO-as-a-Service often becomes an ongoing partner in your startup's journey, participating in decision-making and sometimes even getting hands-on with code or hiring. It's scalable. Engage more hours when tackling big challenges. Scale back when things are running smoothly.
Meet are our CTOs in residence
Dimitri
Partner
from Belgium 🇧🇪
Jonas
CTO in residence
from Belgium 🇧🇪
Mike
CTO in residence
from Belgium 🇧🇪
Peter
CTO in residence
from Belgium 🇧🇪
Christophe
CTO in residence
from Belgium 🇧🇪
Brenden
CTO in residence
from Belgium 🇧🇪
William
CTO in residence
from Netherlands 🇳🇱
See our other software experts
Types of CTO-as-a-Service engagements
Not all CTO-as-a-Service engagements are alike. Depending on your needs, you can leverage different CaaS models to get the right level of support:
Fractional CTO (Part-Time CTO Services)
NA Fractional CTO is an experienced tech leader who works part-time with your startup on an ongoing basis. This could mean, for example, 1-2 days a week of their time, or a set number of hours per month. They become your strategic technology advisor and de-facto CTO, just not full-time on your payroll.
Fractional CTOs are ideal if you need regular guidance and leadership but can't justify a full-time CTO's cost yet. They'll help craft your tech roadmap, mentor your developers, set up best practices, and be a technical sounding board for all major decisions. You get CTO-level expertise at a fraction of the cost and only for the fraction of time you need.
Read more about Fractional CTOsInterim CTO (Temporary or Acting CTO)
engagement means bringing in a CTO temporarily to fill a gap or lead during a transition period. This is useful if your startup's current CTO has departed or if you haven't found the right full-time CTO yet. An interim CTO will lead your tech team and keep projects on track in the meantime. They ensure continuity, your technology strategy and execution won't miss a beat while you search for a permanent hire or while your in-house CTO is on leave.
For example, if a CTO co-founder steps away suddenly, an interim CTO-as-a-Service can step in quickly to stabilize the team and even help interview and onboard a new full-time CTO when the time comes. Essentially, they are plug-and-play executive leadership to bridge the gap.
Read more about Interim CTOsCTO coaching as part of CTO-as-a-Service
Our CTO coaching service is an integral part of CTO-as-a-Service, delivered by our experienced CTOs in residence. Whether you're a new CTO or an experienced tech leader, our coaching provides personalized leadership mentoring to help you navigate the challenges of scaling a SaaS business.
From building stronger teams to making strategic decisions, our CTOs act as trusted advisors, empowering you to lead with confidence and drive growth, all while ensuring your leadership evolves to meet the changing needs of your business.
Read more about our CTO CoachingCTO-as-a-Service plus team (Full Product Team Leadership)
In some cases, CTO-as-a-Service goes beyond a single person. Certain providers (like specialised agencies) can supply a fractional CTO along with an entire development team to execute on the CTO's vision. In this model, a seasoned CTO assumes leadership of your project and brings in a crew of trusted engineers to build your product. This is a turnkey solution if you not only lack technical leadership but also need to quickly assemble a development team.
The CTO will architect the product and manage the team (often one they've worked with before), delivering results fast. This saves you the headache of recruiting developers yourself and ensures strong team cohesion from day one. It's like renting anentire tech department as a service. You get the "brains" (CTO) plus the "hands" (dev team) to bring your product to life.
Combining our CTO services with software engineeringOn-Demand CTO consulting (One-time or project-based)
Some providers offer CTO-as-a-Service on an on-demand basis: think of this as CTO consulting for specific needs. This could be a one-time advisory session or a short-term projectengagement. For instance, if you're facing a thorny technical challenge, planning a major architectural overhaul, or conducting a technology audit or due diligence before an investor round, you can bring in a CTO expert just for that project.
An on-demand CTO might work hourly or per project to review your code and infrastructure, give an unbiased second opinion on your tech strategy, or troubleshoot a crisis. This "CTO on call" model is very flexible, use a CTO's expertise only when you truly need high-level guidance.
CTO as a Service is temporary - we don't plan on staying forever
At madewithlove, our goal is clear: we plan our exit from day one. Our CTOs in residence are here to provide the leadership your team needs, but we don't want to stay longer than necessary. We work to make your team self-sufficient, mentoring your leaders and building processes so that when the time comes, your team can take the reins and continue growing independently. Your success is our success, and when you're ready to lead on your own, we step away.
When should you consider CTO-as-a-Service?
Every startup's needs are different. Here are common use cases by startup stage and situation where CTO-as-a-Service proves useful:
Furthermore, the interim CTO is instrumental in formulating and executing a comprehensive technical strategy. This includes not only the technological vision but also practical roadmaps for scaling, innovation, and adapting to evolving market demands. Their expertise ensures the company's technology strategy aligns with its business goals, even in periods of rapid transformation.
Pre-Seed/Early Stage (Idea to MVP)
In the scrappy early days, you might be building an MVP with a small dev team or even a solo coder. You probably don't yet have a CTO, and that's okay – early on, execution is key. But a fractional CTO's input at this stage can still be invaluable. They can help you validate the technical feasibility of your idea, design a sensible architecture from the start, and avoid "rookie mistakes."
If you're a non-technical founder with a great concept but no clue how to implement it, CTO-as-a-Service gives you a roadmap and technical oversight. An on-demand CTO advisor can ensure your MVP is built on solid foundations (so you won't have to rebuild everything later when scaling). In short, while you might not need a full-time CTO yet, a part-time expert can set your product on the right track from day one.
Seed/Validation Stage (Post-MVP to Product-Market Fit)
Now you have a live product and early users. At this stage, technical leadership becomes critical as you iterate and grow. If you haven't hired a full-time CTO, a fractional CTO service can be a game-changer. They will formalize your tech strategy, prioritize the product roadmap, and institute engineering best practices for your growing dev team.
A CaaS CTO can also communicate with investors, translating your product's tech vision in board meetings or due diligence processes. Often, startups at this phase can't attract a superstar CTO to join full-time (good CTOs are in high demand and not easily lured into a risky new venture). CTO-as-a-Service gives you access to a seasoned CTO who's seen it all, without the long recruitment timeline. They'll mentor any in-house developers or team leads to step up, and ensure your technology and operations can scale to match your market demand.
Growth Stage (Series A to B)
Your user base is expanding, and so is your engineering team. You may have a CTO by now – if so, they might be stretched thin. This is where CTO-as-a-Service can augment your leadership. For example, you might bring in an interim CTO or CTO coach to support your current CTO or VP Engineering in tackling new challenges.
Scaling up often introduces complex issues around architecture scalability, team structure, vendor selection, and security. An external CTO can offer a fresh perspective and expertise in scaling, helping redesign processes or systems for the next level of growth. If you don't have a CTO, a fractional CTO can temporarily fulfill that role and put in place the right frameworks until you're ready for a permanent hire. Think of it as getting a high-level guide to navigate the chaos of rapid growth – setting up multiple teams, refining development workflows, guarding against downtime and tech debt, and keeping the technology aligned with business goals as you expand to new markets.
Late Stage/Scale-Up (Series B and beyond)
At this point, technology decisions have huge stakes. You might have multiple engineering teams, complex infrastructure, and heavy compliance or security needs. If your current CTO's experience is mostly early-stage, they may seek mentorship – who better than a veteran CTO who has led a company through scaling pains?
An external CTO advisor can act as a sounding board for major strategic decisions (e.g. entering new regions with different regulations, or evaluating an acquisition's tech stack). Fractional CTO services can also provide specialized expertise on tap – for example, bringing in a CTO with AI/ML background for a few months to guide a new product initiative, or conducting a thorough audit of your platform before an IPO or large investment round.
In late stage scenarios, CTO-as-a-Service is often about consulting and coaching: ensuring your technology leadership evolves with the company, and helping groom your internal CTO and team for long-term success.
Crisis or Transition
Regardless of stage, any startup can hit a sudden crisis – perhaps your lead architect quits in the middle of a big refactoring, or you discover major performance issues that jeopardize an upcoming launch. A fractional CTO can step in quickly to put out fires, thanks to broad experience with similar problems.
Likewise, if you're between CTOs, an interim CTO ensures you don't lose momentum. They can also assist in vendor selection (say you need to choose an outsourcing partner or a cloud provider; a CTO-as-a-Service will evaluate vendors and negotiate contracts with your best interests at heart). Essentially, during any period of uncertainty or high-stakes decision-making, an external CTO provides stability and seasoned guidance to steer the ship.
In all these cases, the flexibility of CTO-as-a-Service shines. You get the right level of help at the right time: scale up engagement when facing complex tech challenges, and scale down once things are running smoothly. And because it's not a permanent hire, you maintain agility – an important trait for startups that must adapt quickly.
What does a CTO-as-a-Service actually do? (Key Roles & Benefits)
A CTO (Chief Technology Officer), whether in-house or "as-a-Service," wears many hats. When you bring in a fractional CTO, you gain access to a versatile expert who can contribute across strategy, development, and leadership. Here are the key roles a CTO-as-a-Service will fulfill for your SaaS company – and the benefits you'll get:
Technology Vision & Roadmap
Your fractional CTO will work with you to define a technology strategy aligned with your business vision. Think of them as your startup's GPS for tech decisions – mapping out the product roadmap, deciding which features to prioritize for maximum impact, and avoiding technical dead-ends. This ensures you invest engineering effort in the right things at the right time.
The benefit? You won't waste time or money on blind alleys or building the "wrong" product. A clear, agile tech roadmap means faster progress toward product-market fit and beyond.
Architecture & Scalability
Acting as a technical architect, the CTO will design and review your system's architecture to make sure it's scalable, reliable, and secure. They'll choose appropriate tech stacks and cloud infrastructure, or refactor what you have if needed. By future-proofing your product's architecture, a CTO-as-a-Service helps you avoid costly rewrites down the line.
(Ever hear horror stories of startups having to rebuild their app from scratch because it couldn't scale? A good CTO helps you dodge that bullet by planning ahead.) The CTO will also enforce engineering best practices like testing, CI/CD, and robust devops processes, so your platform stays stable as you grow.
Team Leadership & Hiring
A fractional CTO often acts like an engineering team lead and mentor – especially valuable if your team is junior or has grown quickly. They will foster a strong engineering culture with clear communication and healthy processes. By conducting code reviews, pair programming, and setting coding standards, they raise the team's productivity and quality bar.
Additionally, CTO-as-a-Service can take charge of hiring and talent development: defining what roles you need, vetting candidates' technical skills, and even participating in interviews. This ensures you attract top tech talent and build a balanced, high-performing team. The benefit here is huge: your developers get better under an experienced leader, and you avoid hiring mistakes that a non-technical founder might make.
Product Development & Innovation
The CTO will bridge the gap between your business ideas and the technical execution. In early stages, they help translate your vision into a viable MVP – prioritizing features that deliver value and scoping builds to hit deadlines. In later stages, they coordinate with product managers to align technical deliverables with market needs.
Essentially, a CTO-as-a-Service acts as the master chef in your startup's kitchen, ensuring all ingredients (features) come together into a delightful dish (product). They introduce appropriate methodologies (Agile, Scrum, etc.) and keep the team focused on reducing time-to-market. The benefit is faster innovation – you can experiment and ship improvements more quickly, guided by someone who has cooked many meals in this kitchen before (yes, Gordon Ramsay would be proud).
Risk Management & QA
A seasoned CTO is a risk radar for your startup. They'll identify technical risks – from security vulnerabilities and scalability limits to project timeline risks – and devise mitigation plans. For example, they might implement phased rollouts or robust backup schemes to protect your product's reliability.
They also ensure compliance with relevant regulations (GDPR for data privacy, industry standards, etc.) so you don't stumble into legal issues. Another area is quality assurance: a fractional CTO will put in place code quality checks, testing protocols, and perhaps conduct periodic "technical health" audits. By foreseeing and addressing risks early, they save your company from fire-fighting major problems later (like security breaches or catastrophic downtime).
Vendor Management & Partnerships
Startups often rely on third-party services – maybe an external development agency, cloud providers, or SaaS tools. An external CTO can handle technology vendor management for you. They know how to speak the language and won't be easily dazzled by sales-speak.
For instance, if you need to outsource some development, your fractional CTO will evaluate potential vendors' competence, negotiate contracts, and monitor their performance. This ensures you get quality service and protect your budget. They act as your representative with any tech partners, making sure you aren't overcharged and that integrations go smoothly. The benefit is peace of mind – an expert has your back in all external technical dealings, so you can avoid costly missteps with vendors.
Investor Communications & Due Diligence
When raising funds, having a credible CTO figure can boost investor confidence. A CTO-as-a-Service can join investor meetings to vouch for your technical roadmap and team. They help translate technical progress into business terms that investors understand ("Yes, our platform can scale to 1M users, here's how…").
Moreover, if potential investors conduct technical due diligence on your startup, your fractional CTO will be instrumental in preparing for it. They'll tidy up documentation, review code quality, and be the point person to answer deep technical questions. As a result, you'll navigate due diligence smoothly and present a solid technical front – often a deciding factor in securing funding. The presence of an experienced CTO (even part-time) gives investors comfort that the startup is in capable hands.
Coaching & Mentoring Internal Leaders
Here's a benefit many don't consider – a CTO-as-a-Service can coach your existing team members to grow into bigger roles. Perhaps you have a promising engineering manager or a developer with leadership potential; a fractional CTO will mentor them so that one day they could step up as CTO.
In fact, the best external CTOs aim to make themselves eventually unnecessary. By transferring knowledge and leadership skills to your team, they ensure your startup becomes self-sufficient in the long run. This mentorship mindset means your team not only executes better now but also learns and improves for the future. It's like having a CTO and a leadership coach in one – a Mary Poppins of the tech world who pulls one solution after another out of the bag while uplifting everyone around them.
Each of these roles provides tangible benefits – from cost savings to faster product delivery to risk reduction. In essence, a CTO-as-a-Service is your technical champion, strategist, and firefighter, all rolled into one. They'll save the day with just the right mix of wisdom and a touch of magic (umbrella not included).
Great resources on CTOs in SaaS
Behind-the-scenes CTO mentoring
We specialize in the unseen art of mentoring CTO coaches to excel in the SaaS domain, without the rest of your team noticing - if you dont want them to notice.
Our approach is tailored to nurture the skills and insights required for effective leadership in technology. We focus on enhancing decision-making capabilities, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills. This behind-the-scenes coaching empowers (interim) CTOs to drive innovation and scalability in SaaS companies, equipping them with the tools and knowledge necessary to tackle unique industry challenges and foster personal and team growth.
Benefits of using CTO-as-a-Service vs. hiring a full-time CTO
By now, some advantages of the CTO-as-a-Service model might be clear, but let's summarize the key benefits and how CaaS compares to a traditional full-time CTO hire:
Cost Efficiency
Hiring a full-time, experienced CTO is expensive – their average salary can easily hit six figures (e.g. ~$140k/year), plus equity, benefits, and the cost of recruitment. In contrast, CTO-as-a-Service is pay-as-you-go. You only pay for the time and services you actually need, whether it's a few hours a week or a short-term project.
This fractional model significantly reduces costs while still giving you access to top-tier expertise. Especially for early-stage startups with tight budgets, it's a way to get C-level expertise without breaking the bank.
Speed of Engagement
Filling a full-time CTO position can take months of searching, interviewing, and negotiating. In the meantime, your startup could be drifting without strong technical direction. CTO-as-a-Service allows you to bring in experienced leadership within days or weeks, not months.
You bypass the war for talent (which is especially tough for startups) by tapping into experts who are available on an outsourced basis. This speed can be critical – for example, quickly getting an interim CTO in place to troubleshoot a major issue or to prepare for a sudden funding opportunity. No lengthy hiring process means less downtime for your tech strategy.
Flexibility & Scalability
A full-time hire locks you into a fixed cost and role, whereas a fractional CTO gives you ultimate flexibility. Need more help this month to prepare a big release or investor demo? Just scale up their hours. Once that's done, scale down to keep costs lean.
You're not stuck in a long-term contract either – if your needs change, you can adjust or end the engagement relatively easily. This agile model means you can experiment and adapt your tech leadership to the startup's evolving needs. As one provider put it, think of CaaS like working with your lawyer or accountant – there when you need them, not on payroll when you don't.
Access to Broad Expertise
When you hire one person full-time, you get the skillset of that single individual. But fractional CTOs often have broader exposure – many have led multiple startups or worked across industries. They bring a wealth of experience and a fresh outsider perspective to your company.
It's like having a library of hard-earned lessons at your disposal. This can lead to more innovative solutions (they've "seen it before" and know what works) and helps avoid pitfalls. Also, if a particular challenge is outside their expertise, often fractional CTOs have networks of specialists they can pull in or consult. In contrast, a single full-time CTO might have a narrower experience pool to draw from.
Objective Insight
An external CTO can provide impartial, unbiased advice more easily than an internal person. Because they're not entwined in office politics or personal career stakes within your startup, they can call things as they see them.
For example, they won't hesitate to tell you a project should be killed or a process isn't working – whereas an internal CTO might face organizational pressures or blind spots. This objectivity can save your startup from pursuing dead-end tech strategies out of inertia or emotional attachment. A fractional CTO tells you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear.
Our trusted clients and investors
Reduced Founder Burden
For non-technical founders or time-strapped CEOs, CTO-as-a-Service lifts a huge weight. Instead of trying to make critical technical decisions solo (or managing a dev team without a tech background), you have a trusted technical advisor at your side.
This frees you to focus on vision, customers, and growth, knowing the tech side is in good hands. It's a relief to have someone who can "speak developer" and then translate it to business implications – acting as a bridge between you, your team, and your stakeholders. Essentially, it de-risks the technology part of your business plan.
Trial Run for a Future Role
Engaging a fractional CTO can be a great way to "try before you buy." If eventually you do want a full-time CTO, you might even transition the fractional CTO into that role if it's a mutual fit. If not, they can help you define what you truly need in a CTO through their engagement, making your eventual full-time hire more informed.
In some cases, the fractional CTO may even help recruit or train their full-time replacement – a smooth succession with no hard feelings, because that was the plan! Many external CTOs are quite happy moving on once you're ready; their goal is to get your startup to a place where a permanent CTO (perhaps an internal team member they mentored) can take over.
Bottom line: CTO-as-a-Service offers flexibility, experience, and savings that a full-time hire often can't match, especially in a startup's early phases. However, it's not necessarily an either/or forever – it's a way to get the benefits of a CTO now, without the drawbacks of a premature hire. As your company matures, you can reassess the need for an in-house CTO, but by then you'll have a much clearer picture of what you need thanks to your fractional CTO's contributions.
Client testimonials
Here's what people think about us
Lawfty
A nationwide network of vetted injury lawyers
CTO Coaching from madewithlove has been a game changer for me. Clive has helped me navigate the challenges we faced as we kicked off the rebuild of our application and doubled our team size. We also work on identifying my leadership style and ensuring team values are clearly dictated to my team. I wish I started sooner!
Elizabeth Rotunno (Director of Engineering)
Phished
Revolutionize the cyber awareness of your company
Madewithlove has been a fantastic partner for over two years. They helped us scale our team and build a future-proof platform that grows with our business. Their expertise in scalable architecture, pragmatic approach and overall professionalism has been key to our success. Highly recommended!
Arnout Van de Meulebroucke (CTO)
Helpper
A sharing economy platform for budget holders who need or are seeking additional support
In a short time, madewitloves interim CTO has noticeably improved how our development team works. The extensive experience and expertise have made our team more efficient and effective. In this way, our team managed to establish a solid foundation for future growth. The straightforward and expert advice on technical decisions, especially with complex issues, has been very valuable for our team. During a period of growth, this guidance has greatly helped us, allowing us to look to the future with more confidence.
Dries De Roeck (Product manager)
CTO as a Service resources
Why frontend rewrites are more common than refactors
Why do engineering teams keep rewriting frontends? Let’s explore the leadership bias and tech churn that makes refactors feel harder—yet ultimately more sustainable.
Building a customer support machine: a pragmatic approach for startups
When customer support becomes a blocker for engineering progress, it’s time to build more than just your product—you need to build your support infrastructure. This article explains how to scale support before chaos kills your velocity.
CTO-as-a-Service vs. In-House CTO: which to choose?
If you're on the fence about whether to use CTO-as-a-Service or hold out for a full-time CTO, consider your startup's immediate needs and runway. For early and growing companies, CTO-as-a-Service is often a smart interim solution – it gets you experienced leadership now, when you most need direction and speed.
Get experienced leadership without long-term commitment
Access strategic advantages like technical roadmaps and team mentorship
Build investor-ready credibility with expert guidance
Scale your tech leadership as your needs grow
Help identify when it's time to hire a full-time CTO
Ready to elevate your startup with CTO-as-a-Service? Every successful tech company needs solid technical leadership. If you're a SaaS founder or startup CEO looking for that leadership but not ready to hire a full-timer, CTO as a Service could be your secret weapon.
Access seasoned CTO wisdom and strategic direction
Get hands-on support tailored to your startup's stage
Work with CTOs who have 'been there, scaled that'
Coach your existing team and guide product strategy
Build a stronger, more self-sufficient organization
Explore our CTO-as-a-Service for your business
We invite you to book a no-commitment consultation to discuss your tech challenges and goals
We'll help you figure out the best way to level up your tech leadership – whether it's through our fractional CTO services, mentoring your in-house talent, or a mix of both.
We are getting booked up pretty quickly, so the sooner you get in touch, the sooner we can help you.