A CTO for right now, not forever.
Sometimes you need a Chief Technology Officer in the seat today, not on the payroll for the next five years. I step in as your temporary CTO, run technology full-time for as long as the situation demands, and hand it off in better shape than I found it. Some people call this an interim CTO. It's the same job.
What is a temporary CTO?
A temporary CTO is a seasoned Chief Technology Officer who runs your technology full-time for a fixed period instead of joining for good. You get a senior operator in the seat this week, making the strategy and delivery calls a CTO makes, without the long executive search or a permanent line on the payroll.
It's the same role most people have in mind when they say interim CTO. The work is hands-on and the ownership is total. I run the function, unblock what's stuck, and stay until the job is done.
Most of it is remote. I work with US companies from Eastern Time and overlap the whole country during the business day, so there's no relocation to arrange and no payroll to stand up.
Also known as: interim CTO, contract CTO, CTO for hire, short-term CTO, stand-in CTO, temporary technology leadership.
When a temporary CTO is the right call.
The need is urgent and real. The job itself doesn't have to be permanent.
The seat went empty
Your CTO is gone. The team, the roadmap and the board all need a steady senior hand this week, not after a six-month search.
A stretch to get through
A raise, a migration, a launch you can't fumble. Something big needs senior ownership for a few months, and then it's behind you.
A bridge to the right hire
You want to hire the permanent CTO well, not in a panic. I keep technology moving while you take the time to find the right person.
Step in. Run it. Hand off.
Step in
- Assess delivery, team, risk and whatever is on fire
- Reassure the team, the board and the customers
- Keep shipping, momentum matters more than ceremony
Run it
- Own the technology function full-time, hands-on
- Make the calls that were stuck; fix what's breaking
- Bring AI-native practices in where they add real leverage
Hand off
- Help define and hire the permanent CTO
- Document architecture, decisions and the plan
- Leave the function stronger than I found it
A track record, not a pitch.
Temporary doesn't mean tentative. It's full ownership of the technology function for as long as it takes to make the next chapter someone else's to run well.
What boards & founders ask.
Is a temporary CTO the same as an interim CTO?
Yes. Two names, one role: a senior CTO who steps in full-time for a set period, holds technology together, then hands off. Some people say temporary, others say interim, contract or stand-in. The work is identical, full ownership while I'm in the seat.
How is this different from a fractional CTO?
A temporary CTO is full-time but for a set period. A fractional CTO is ongoing but part-time. Both are senior and hands-on; what changes is the depth and the duration. Need someone every day to cover a gap? That's temporary, or interim. Need senior judgment a day or two a week over the long haul? That's fractional.
How quickly can you start?
Temporary mandates are usually urgent, so I move fast and give the role real full-time attention from day one.
How long does a temporary engagement last?
Until the gap is covered or the transition lands, sometimes a few months, sometimes longer. It ends when the problem is solved, not on a date someone picked in advance.
Will you help hire my permanent CTO?
Yes, and it's part of the job. I help define the role, weigh the candidates, and hand over the architecture, the decisions and the plan so your permanent hire walks into a strong position.
Need a CTO in the seat
now?
If the seat is empty, or you can see a hard stretch coming, let's talk today.