Building your startup without a technical co-founder?
Don't worry - you don't need one, just clear technical leadership.

Yes, it can be - if the following conditions are met:

1. You have the budget for a full-time hire - with everything that comes with it. C-level executives often expect equipment, a company car, and other benefits on top of their salary.
2. You have enough work to keep a full-time CTO busy. A CTO with nothing meaningful to do - or one who ends up handling basic developer tasks - is an expensive luxury.

In many other cases, a full-time CTO simply isn't the right move yet. For most startups in their early stages, a Fractional CTO is the smarter choice.

This is certainly possible, but for many companies it is not the optimal setup:

1. Freelancers often operate within their specific area of expertise and may not take a broader strategic view.
2. Many freelancers understand the technical side well, but less so the business implications. A (Fractional) CTO acts as the interface between executive leadership and technical specialists, improving communication, reducing friction, and accelerating outcomes.
3. Specialists, including freelancers, are not always strong in self-management, especially when multiple contributors need coordination. A central point of oversight helps create structure, prevent misunderstandings, and ensure resources are used effectively.

I work with non-technical or semi-technical founders and executives of small digital businesses and startups - typically between 3 and 15 people - who are building or scaling a digital product, platform, or tech-driven business without a technical co-founder or internal tech lead.

This includes SaaS companies, digital agencies (across all industries), real estate agencies and proptech platforms, marketplaces, fintech businesses, and digital service providers.

My clients are based across Europe, for example Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, and France - but I work with any startup that operates in English or German.

You could hire a Fractional CTO from anywhere in the world. But there are a few practical reasons why working with someone based in Europe makes sense if your business is built and operated here.

We work in the same timezone - which means availability during normal business hours, and no scheduling acrobatics to find a time for a call. (If you or some of your team are based elsewhere in the world, that's fine too - I've worked with clients from North America to Bali.)

Also, GDPR and the European regulatory landscape are part of the environment I work in every day.

None of this makes a non-European CTO the wrong choice by definition. But if you're building for European customers and operating under European regulations, it's worth factoring in.

I'm based in Barcelona and work in Central European Time (CET/CEST). That said, I'm used to working with clients across different timezones - from North America to Bali - and happy to find solutions that work for both sides.

I work in both German and English - written and spoken. All services, calls, and async communication are available in either language, depending on what works best for you.

Yes. Artificial intelligence now offers a wide range of practical applications. Companies that fail to begin leveraging these opportunities in 2026 may face significant competitive disadvantages within the next few years. At the same time, AI adoption involves risks, including inaccurate outputs and data privacy concerns.

I provide clear guidance on both opportunities and risks and help identify tools and systems that are appropriate for your specific business context.

Technical debt arises when short-term solutions are chosen under time pressure or pragmatism, such as temporary workarounds, quick fixes, or using software in ways it was not designed for. While this may accelerate short-term progress, it increases long-term maintenance costs, complexity, and quality risks because those shortcuts eventually require correction.

At the beginning of our collaboration, and at regular intervals thereafter, I assess existing technical debt and provide structured recommendations for remediation.

In most cases, very quickly. This is another advantage compared to hiring a full-time CTO. There are no lengthy recruiting or onboarding processes. In a short, non-binding and free 15 to 30 minute intro call, we get to know each other and determine whether we can support you with your current challenges.

We then schedule a more in-depth tech clarity session, typically 90 to 120 minutes, to review your systems and challenges in detail. Following that session, you receive a structured report with concrete recommendations and implementation options.

Afterward, we establish the ongoing strategic partnership. The entire process can be completed within a few days.