Fractional CTO for Denver and Boulder companies
Senior technology leadership one to three days a week: architecture, vendors, engineering hiring and an AI strategy you can actually execute.
What does a fractional CTO from Dorje Group do, and what does it cost?
A fractional CTO owns your technology direction part time: the architecture, the build-vs-buy calls, the engineering team and the roadmap that ties them to the business. At Dorje Group that runs $4,500 to $22,000 a month depending on time commitment, with a 3-month minimum and no hourly billing.
Most clients start at the Fractional tier, about one day a week, for $9,500 a month.
What you get
Architecture and stack strategy
A clear picture of what you run, what it costs and what to change first, written down and defended.
Build vs. buy and vendor selection
Independent decisions on platforms, agencies and dev partners. We take no vendor cuts.
Engineering leadership and hiring
Run hiring loops, set expectations and coach the team until you're ready for a full-time CTO.
Product roadmap ownership
One prioritized roadmap tied to revenue and risk, reviewed monthly with leadership.
AI and automation strategy
Where Claude and automation fit, what to pilot, how to govern it, and what to stop paying for.
Board and diligence support
Board-ready technology updates and technical due diligence for fundraising or acquisitions.
The first 90 days
What a fractional CTO engagement looks like in practice. See [the full 90-day breakdown](/insights/fractional-cto-first-90-days).
Days 1–30
Listen and assess
Interviews, system and spend inventory, security and delivery risks. You get a written assessment.
Days 31–60
Decide
A 12-month roadmap, the first vendor and hiring decisions, and two or three quick wins already underway.
Days 61–90
Deliver and report
Quick wins shipped, operating cadence in place, and the first board-ready technology report.
Fractional CTO retainers
Advisor
About 2–4 hours a week. Senior judgment on call.
- Monthly executive working session
- Roadmap and vendor review
- Slack or email access between sessions
- Board and investor prep
Fractional
About 1 day a week. You get an owner, not an advisor.
- Owns the CTO roadmap and priorities
- Vendor, agency or MSP management
- Leads your team and hiring loops
- Monthly board-ready report
- In-person days across the Denver metro
Embedded / Interim
2–3 days a week for migrations, launches or gap coverage.
- Near-full-time leadership
- Major migrations, launches or turnarounds
- Hiring your permanent leader
- Weekly executive reporting
All retainers have a 3-month minimum, then run month to month. Billed monthly, never by the hour. Technical due diligence is a separate fixed fee from $7,500.
Need technology and marketing covered by one person?
The Tech + Growth retainer puts one senior leader across the CTO/CIO and CMO seats, about 1.5 days a week, for $14,000 a month. One roadmap for systems, marketing and AI, with no hand-offs between three vendors.
Frequently asked questions
When should a company hire a fractional CTO instead of a full-time one?
When you need senior technology judgment but not 50 hours a week of it: before a platform rebuild, after a CTO departure, while a non-technical founder manages developers, or ahead of a raise or sale. Hire full time when the work is daily and the team is large enough to need constant leadership.
How is this different from a development agency's fractional CTO?
Agencies often offer fractional CTO time as the front door to selling development hours. We don't sell engineering hours or take vendor fees, so our recommendations aren't steering work to ourselves.
Is there a minimum commitment?
Three months, then month to month. Real roadmap work needs a quarter to show results.
Do you do technical due diligence?
Yes, as a fixed-fee engagement from $7,500 for buy-side or fundraising diligence, with a written report.
How much does a fractional CTO cost in Denver?
Published Denver-area retainers commonly fall between about $5,000 and $25,000 a month depending on days per week. Our tiers are $4,500, $9,500 and $16,000–$22,000. See our [Denver fractional CTO cost guide](/insights/fractional-cto-cost-denver).