Advisory & Direction
A second opinion worth having.
Technical strategy, stack decisions, and consulting.
The work
Before you commit.
Some decisions are too consequential to make without an experienced second set of eyes. Whether you're choosing a technology stack, reviewing an architecture, evaluating a vendor, or trying to understand the health of an existing codebase, the right guidance at the right moment is worth more than months of work in the wrong direction. We offer advisory engagements sized to the actual problem: a single focused review, ongoing strategic support, or anything in between.
This might look like
- Technology stack evaluation
- Architecture & system design reviews
- Build vs. buy analysis
- Technical due diligence
- Fractional CTO engagements
- Code & performance audits
- Vendor & platform evaluation
- Engineering team assessments
Who it's for
Sound familiar?
You're making a big technical decision
Choosing a stack, deciding whether to build or buy, committing to an architecture. These decisions are hard to reverse. We give you an honest, experienced read before you commit.
You need ongoing technical leadership
You need someone in your corner on the technical side but aren't ready for a full-time hire. We provide ongoing strategic guidance and help you make the right calls as the business grows.
You want to know where you stand
A codebase audit, a performance review, or a pre-investment technical due diligence. We give you a clear-eyed picture of what you have and what needs attention.
Our approach
Just the honest read.
Advisory work starts with listening. Before we recommend anything, we want to understand the actual decision you're facing, the constraints you're working within, and what the stakes are. From there we give you our honest read: what we'd do, what the tradeoffs are, and what to watch out for. We don't have a preferred stack to sell you. We have experience making these decisions across a lot of different contexts, and we apply it to yours.
Common questions
What people usually ask.
What does a typical advisory engagement look like?
It depends on what you need. Some are a single session: we review what you have and give you our honest take. Others are ongoing: monthly check-ins, sitting in on key decisions, and providing strategic direction over time. We scope every engagement to the actual problem.
What's a fractional CTO?
An experienced technical leader who works with your business part-time. You get the strategic guidance and engineering direction of a CTO without the cost of a full-time executive hire. It works well for companies that need technical leadership but aren't at the stage where a full-time hire makes sense.
Can you do technical due diligence for an acquisition or investment?
Yes. We review the codebase, architecture, team, and technical debt and give you a clear picture of what you're buying or investing in.
Do you work with non-technical founders?
Yes, and some of our best advisory work happens there. We translate complex technical decisions into plain language so you can make informed choices without needing to understand every detail yourself.
How is this different from hiring a consultant?
We're not trying to grow an engagement or sell you a build. We give you an honest read and leave. If you need ongoing support we can provide it, but we won't recommend more than you need.
Ready to get started?
Tell us what you're working on. We'll give you an honest read on scope, approach, and fit.
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