Pillar 02
Consulting
Senior engineering leadership when you need it. Architecture reviews, fractional CTO engagements, practice building, and technology strategy — from someone who's built and led the systems you're trying to build.
15+ years across defense, enterprise, and commercial software. Equally comfortable with a whiteboard and a terminal.
Senior judgment at every layer
Fractional CTO
Senior technology leadership without the full-time hire. The right person in the room for the calls that actually matter.
What's included
- ▹Technology strategy & roadmap
- ▹Hiring plans & engineering interviews
- ▹Vendor selection & build-vs-buy calls
- ▹Board, investor, and customer technical conversations
- ▹Crisis response & turnarounds
What you walk away with
- ✓Stop guessing at technical decisions you can't evaluate
- ✓A technology plan tied to the business plan
- ✓Engineering accountability without micromanaging
Software Architecture
Independent review and design of the systems you depend on. We use domain-driven design (DDD) and event storming to map the real business first, then shape architecture that serves it — before things buckle, or after they already have.
What's included
- ▹Domain-driven design (DDD) & event storming workshops
- ▹Architecture & code reviews
- ▹System design for new initiatives
- ▹Performance, scaling & reliability audits
- ▹Security & compliance posture review
- ▹Cloud & infrastructure strategy
- ▹Migration & modernization planning
What you walk away with
- ✓Clear, prioritized recommendations — not a 60-page report nobody reads
- ✓Architecture that fits your team size, not somebody else's
- ✓Confidence to invest where it actually matters
Engineering Practice Building
Help young engineering organizations grow up. Process, standards, and culture that ship software without burning people out.
What's included
- ▹Engineering org design & operating model
- ▹Delivery process (planning, review, release)
- ▹On-call, incident response & post-mortems
- ▹Code review, testing & QA standards
- ▹Knowledge management, documentation & onboarding
- ▹Career ladders & performance frameworks
- ▹Engineering culture & rituals
What you walk away with
- ✓A team that ships predictably without heroics
- ✓Engineers who know what good looks like and how to grow
- ✓Leadership leverage so founders can stop being the bottleneck
Technical Due Diligence
Independent technical assessment for investors, acquirers, and boards. Direct, evidence-based, and on a deadline.
What's included
- ▹Code, architecture & infrastructure review
- ▹Team & process assessment
- ▹Security & compliance check
- ▹Roadmap, scalability & risk analysis
- ▹Written report with clear red/yellow/green findings
What you walk away with
- ✓A clear-eyed picture of what you're buying or backing
- ✓Risk surfaces named, with what it would take to fix
- ✓Defensible findings you can act on (or walk away on)
AI Strategy & Adoption
Help your organization adopt AI in ways that produce real outcomes — not pilots that never ship.
What's included
- ▹Opportunity mapping & prioritization
- ▹Build vs. buy vs. partner analysis
- ▹Spec-driven development (SDD) for AI features
- ▹Privacy, security & governance guardrails
- ▹Pilot design & success metrics
- ▹Path-to-production for AI features
What you walk away with
- ✓A short list of AI bets worth making this quarter
- ✓Confidence about what to keep in-house vs. outsource
- ✓AI initiatives that survive contact with production
Who this is for
Consulting fits best when there's a real decision on the table — not when you just want a stack of slides.
Founders without a technical co-founder
You need senior judgment in the room when vendor pitches, architecture choices, and hiring decisions come up.
Series A/B startups scaling engineering
Your team is growing faster than the practices around it. Things ship — but the cracks are showing.
SMBs running on legacy systems
You have a working business and aging software. You need a plan to modernize without breaking what works.
Investors & acquirers
You need an independent read on a target company's engineering before you write the check.
Ways to engage
Right-sized engagements. Start small, scale if it's working.
Advisory hour
A one-off conversation when you have a specific decision to make and want a senior second opinion.
Discovery sprint
A focused two-to-four-week engagement to assess, recommend, and hand off a clear plan.
Fractional CTO retainer
Ongoing leadership — typically one to two days a week — for a defined chapter of your company.
Let's Talk
Have a real decision to make?
Send a short note about what you're working through. If it's a fit, we'll set up a call. If it's not, you'll get a pointer to someone better suited.
Email [email protected]