Charleston, SC · Remote across the US
Fractional CTO
in Charleston, SC.
Senior technical leadership for startups, one day a week. Hands-on, in your codebase, scoped so you know the number before we start.
I'm Parris Varney. I've spent twenty-plus years building technology at startups, and I'm currently co-founding Source. With a good team, the right processes, and a solid technical foundation, most startups don't need a CTO. My job is to get you there.
01 / What a fractional CTO does
The CTO job, part-time.
The same responsibilities a full-time CTO carries, on a schedule that fits a company that isn't ready for one.
Technical strategy
A roadmap that follows the business plan, with the trade-offs made explicit and revisited as the plan changes.
Architecture and infrastructure
Proven technology sized to your stage and your budget, chosen so it won't need replacing in a year.
Engineering process
A delivery cadence you can plan around, estimates that hold, and visibility that ends the micromanaging.
Hiring and team structure
Writing the roles, running the loop, and setting the people you hire up to succeed once they're in.
Security and compliance
Policies, pen tests, patches, and the SOC 2 and vendor questionnaires that arrive with enterprise customers.
Investors and the board
Technical due diligence, honest status reporting, and a CTO in the room when the conversation needs one.
02 / Do you need one
Most startups don't need a CTO.
You probably need one if
- →Deadlines slip and nobody can say why
- →Engineers are waiting on decisions only a technical leader can make
- →An investor or enterprise customer is asking questions you can't answer
- →The codebase or the team needs a reset, and you want the call made with evidence
- →You're hiring your first senior engineers and want to get it right
You probably don't if you have
- →A capable team that ships on a predictable cadence
- →Processes that make priorities and progress visible without a meeting
- →A technical foundation that scales with the business instead of against it
With those three in place, the company runs without a CTO. Getting you there is the job, and the engagement is designed to end.
03 / How the engagement works
In your codebase, in this order.
Durable change takes time. Nothing moves before your team understands why, and nothing ships without them.
- 01
Embedded
I start in your backlog, writing code with your team. You can't steer a team you haven't shipped with, and it's the surest way to see what's really going on.
- 02
Course correction
Changes to architecture, process, and team, proposed with evidence, agreed on together, and shipped with your engineers rather than around them.
- 03
Taper
As your team takes over, my days go down. The goal is a company that runs without me, not a permanent line item.
04 / Fractional, interim, or full-time
Which one you actually need.
Three different jobs. I'll tell you which one fits, even when the answer isn't me.
Fractional CTO
Ongoing · 1–2 days / week
Senior technical leadership on a part-time schedule. The right fit when the team is capable but the direction, the process, or the foundation isn't there yet.
Interim CTO
Full-time · Fixed term
Someone to run engineering day to day through a turnaround or while you search for a permanent hire. I take these on selectively.
Full-time CTO
Permanent · Salary and equity
The right call when technology is the product and the company is large enough to need a full-time executive. I'll tell you when you're there, and help you hire.
05 / Pricing
$1,000 per day.
Prorated for partial days. A typical fractional CTO engagement is one day a week, which comes to roughly $4,300 a month. Every engagement is scoped and quoted up front, so you know the number before we start.
1 day / week · $1,000 / day · ≈ $4,300 / month
06 / Where
Charleston, and everywhere else.
Based in Charleston, South Carolina. For companies in the Charleston area, from downtown to Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, North Charleston, and Summerville, I work in person when it helps. For everyone else, the engagement runs remote over the video platform of your choice.
07 / Track record
Twenty-plus years of shipping.
Source
Co-founder. Led a ground-up rebuild after two prior teams and two years hadn't shipped.
BusinessLoans.com
Head of Engineering. Took an offshore-built MVP to a stable product with a leaner, less expensive engineering department.
SnapCap by LendingTree
Engineering lead. Consolidated two stacks and two engineering cultures onto one platform after the acquisition.
406 Ventures
Engineering lead across several Boston portfolio companies, each building a product for its own niche.
08 / Fractional CTO questions
FAQ.
What is a fractional CTO?
A senior technical executive who works with your company part-time, usually one or two days a week, and carries the responsibilities of a CTO: strategy, architecture, team, process, and security. You get the judgment without the full-time salary or the equity.
How is a fractional CTO different from a technical advisor?
An advisor gives opinions. A fractional CTO owns outcomes. I work in your codebase and with your team, I'm accountable for what ships, and I make the hard calls rather than suggesting them.
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
$1,000 per day, prorated. One day a week comes to roughly $4,300 a month. Every engagement is scoped and quoted up front, so you know the number before we start.
Do you write code?
Yes. Every engagement starts in the backlog. I don't stay there forever, but I don't lead teams I haven't shipped with.
Do you work with non-technical founders?
Often. If you don't have a technical co-founder, I fill that gap: translating between the business and the engineers, and making sure the technology decisions serve the company.
Can you help with fundraising and technical due diligence?
Yes. I'll get your technology, team, and processes ready for an investor's questions, and I'll sit in on the technical conversations.
Will you help us hire a full-time CTO or VP of Engineering?
When the company needs one. I'll write the role, run the search alongside you, and hand off properly. Working myself out of the job is the point.
Do you only work with Charleston companies?
No. Charleston clients get in-person time. Everyone else gets the same engagement over the video platform of their choice.
What stage of company do you work with?
Startups on either side of product-market fit: bootstrapped companies that need technical co-founder judgment, and growth-stage companies where the product works and the organization has to catch up.
09 / Get in touch
Let's talk about
what you're building.
Tell me what you're building and what's blocking you. I'll reply within a business day with next steps, or an honest referral if I'm not the right fit.
Or write to [email protected].