crew chiefongoing technical leadership

Crew Chief.Your fractional CTO.

free · 30 minutesmonthly retainerBook an intro call →

In racing, the crew chief makes the technical calls so the driver can focus on driving. I do the same for your business, as your senior technical person on retainer, for a lot less than a full-time CTO.

I make the calls on architecture, vendors and AI, review what gets built, and keep the whole thing from falling over as you grow. We work out the fit and the price on a call.

§ 1 · who it’s forSomeone technical you can trust.

10–50 people · no tech team

The ops-heavy small business

Your business runs on software, a few automations and, more and more, AI tools. But nobody on staff can tell a good vendor from a bad one, catch a bad build, or decide what to automate next. That’s the gap I fill.

built with ai · no technical leader

The product without a CTO

You built it with AI tools, contractors, or a developer or two, and it’s working. What’s missing is someone who owns the architecture, the quality and where it’s all going. I take that on.

not a fit if you

Need someone to write the code rather than lead it. That’s a Build.

Want a full-time, always-on CTO. This is part-time on purpose.

Want a rubber stamp. I’ll tell you when something’s a bad call.

§ 2 · the lineupWhere Crew Chief fits in.

The Endurance AuditFind what will breakfixed price, from $5,000 BuildsFix it, or build it rightproject, scoped from the audit Crew ChiefKeep someone technical in your cornermonthly retainer

§ 3 · two tiersPick the seat that fits.

Monthly, billed in advance. Three-month minimum, then month to month. Move between tiers at any month boundary.

Advisory

about 10 hours / month

Askon the intro call

CadenceMonthly strategy session, async questions

Best forA small business that needs someone technical in its corner

Embedded

about 20–25 hours / month

Askon the intro call

CadenceWeekly check-in, same-business-day async

Best forA company with developers but no technical leader

§ 4 · what’s includedSide by side

	advisory	embedded
Strategy session	Monthly	Weekly check-in plus monthly roadmap review
Async questions	Within a few business days	Same business day
Vendor and tool decisions	Second opinion	Owns the evaluation and recommendation
AI decisions	Where to use it, where not to	Sets the AI roadmap and guardrails
Review of what gets built	Spot checks on request	Ongoing review of AI-built and contractor work
Architecture	Advice	Owns it
Failure register upkeep	not included	Keeps the audit’s register current as the business changes

The last row ties back to the audit: the failure register stops being a one-time report and becomes a living document.

§ 5 · terms & boundariesThe fine print.

minimum3 months, then month to month with 30 days’ notice.

starting pointMost people start with an audit. If you sign up for Crew Chief within its credit window, the audit fee comes off your first month.

billingMonthly, in advance. Move between tiers at any month boundary.

codeWriting and shipping code is a Build, quoted separately. As your crew chief I make the calls and review the work. I don’t become your dev team.

hoursThe hours are a guide. Unused hours don’t roll over, and if months keep running over, it’s probably time for the next tier.

emergenciesIf something is really down, Embedded clients get my best effort. Neither tier is 24/7 on-call.

decisionsI advise. You make the final business calls and own your vendors, contracts and data.

back page · where to start

Start withan audit.

Most people start with an audit. Sign up for Crew Chief within its credit window and the audit fee comes off your first month.

the endurance audit, f2 →ask about crew chief