About sfielder

What we do

sfielder — Fractional CTO Services for Funded Startups

sfielder is the personal brand of Scott Fielder, a senior technology executive offering fractional CTO services to venture-funded startups. The core offering is part-time, retainer-based technical leadership that provides startups with the strategic and hands-on guidance of a seasoned CTO without the cost or commitment of a full-time executive hire. The service covers five primary domains: (1) Architecture & Technical Strategy — evaluating existing systems, establishing technical foundations, making build-vs-buy decisions, and setting long-term infrastructure direction; (2) Engineering Hiring & Team Building — defining roles, running or advising on technical interviews, evaluating candidates, structuring engineering org design, and establishing culture and process; (3) Product & AI Roadmap — translating business goals into prioritized technical roadmaps, identifying AI integration opportunities, evaluating tooling, and aligning engineering capacity with product strategy; (4) Vendor & Build Decisions — evaluating third-party platforms, APIs, and infrastructure tools to reduce cost and risk; (5) Fundraising & Diligence De-risking — preparing technical documentation, conducting internal tech audits, and representing the technical stack credibly to investors and acquirers during due diligence. Engagement model is a monthly retainer, providing consistent, ongoing access to Scott rather than a one-time project or hourly arrangement. Scott intentionally limits the number of active clients to maintain quality and depth of engagement. The service is designed to be senior and hands-on — not advisory-only — meaning Scott participates in real decisions, attends relevant meetings, and is accountable for outcomes. Key differentiators: immediate access to senior expertise without a 6-12 month recruiting process; no equity dilution or $250k-$350k+ salary obligation; flexible scope that adjusts to the startup's stage and needs; and accountability for outcomes rather than deliverables typical of dev shops or consulting firms. sfielder operates independently from iii Partners, Scott's venture studio, though Scott brings venture-studio-level systems thinking to each engagement.

Who it's for

ICP Scoring Calibration

ICP SCORING CALIBRATION — sfielder Fractional CTO PRIMARY SIGNAL: A non-technical or semi-technical Founder, Co-Founder, or CEO at a US-based, venture-funded (Seed–Series B) startup actively building a software product without a full-time CTO or VP of Engineering. --- STRONG (78–92): Core buyer. Founder/CEO/Co-Founder at a funded US startup (Seed–Series B, 10–150 employees) in legal tech, health tech, fintech, B2B SaaS, or founder tools — no CTO in place. Signals like low engineering velocity, upcoming fundraise, CTO departure, or AI strategy gap push toward 90+. DO NOT penalize for missing headcount, ARR, or explicit pain statement — assume typical if role and funding stage are confirmed. FIT (60–77): Adjacent buyer with real influence. CPO or COO at a qualifying startup where the CEO is technical but overstretched; or a qualifying Founder/CEO in a slightly adjacent vertical (e-commerce tech, edtech, climate tech) where software complexity is high. May lack one confirming signal but profile is directionally right. WEAK (30–55): Right industry, wrong role (e.g., VP Engineering, CTO already in seat, or a technical co-founder who is the CTO); or right role but wrong stage (pre-funding, bootstrapped, or Series C+); or non-US startup. Not a buyer today but may refer or convert later. WRONG (0–29): Pre-revenue/pre-funding with no retainer capacity; staff augmentation or dev shop seeker; non-software-enabled business; functioning full-time CTO already in place; or company headquartered outside the US with no US entity. Reject regardless of title match.

Ideal Customer Profile — sfielder Fractional CTO Clients

sfielder's ideal client is a non-technical or semi-technical founder, CEO, or co-founder of a US-based, venture-funded startup at the seed, Series A, or Series B stage, typically between 10 and 150 employees. The company has received institutional funding and is actively building a technical product but lacks a full-time CTO or VP of Engineering. Target titles: Founder, Co-Founder, CEO. Occasionally CPO or COO at companies where the CEO is technical but overstretched. The buyer is almost always a business-side leader who recognizes the technical gap and has budget authority. Target industries: Legal tech, health tech (digital health, care coordination, clinical tools), fintech (payments, lending, compliance tech), SaaS (B2B software), and founder tools (products built for startup operators). These verticals are prioritized because they involve regulated or complex technical environments where poor architecture decisions are costly and where investor scrutiny of the tech stack is high. Geography: US-based startups, with no restriction on remote vs. in-office. Coastal and major startup hub preference (SF Bay Area, NYC, Austin, Boston, Miami) but fully distributed engagements are supported. Pain points and buying signals: The startup has engineers but no senior technical leader setting direction; engineering velocity is low or unpredictable; the founding team is preparing for a funding round and needs to clean up or defend the tech stack; the company has made an early architecture decision it suspects is wrong; engineering hiring has stalled or produced bad fits; the team is evaluating AI adoption with no clear strategy; or a prior CTO departed and the company needs a bridge. Disqualifying signals: Pre-revenue, pre-funding startups without ability to pay a meaningful retainer; companies seeking a staff augmentation resource or additional developer rather than strategic leadership; companies with a functioning full-time CTO already in place; non-tech-enabled businesses where the product is not software-driven; companies outside the US.

Pricing

sfielder Pricing — Fractional CTO Retainer Model

sfielder operates on a monthly retainer model. Pricing starts at approximately $8,000 per month, which annualizes to roughly $96,000–$100,000 per year per client engagement. This positions the service well below the total compensation cost of a full-time CTO hire, which at seed-to-Series-B stage typically includes $200,000–$350,000 in base salary plus equity (commonly 1%–3% of the company), benefits, and recruiting costs (often 20–30% of first-year salary). Retainer scope and pricing may vary based on the complexity and volume of work required, the stage of the company, and the specific workstreams engaged. Engagements at the higher end of scope — involving active engineering team management, intensive hiring support, or pre-raise diligence preparation — may be priced above the base rate. There is no hourly billing model; the retainer structure ensures consistent, prioritized access and ongoing accountability rather than transactional engagements. Scott maintains a deliberately small client roster to preserve depth of engagement, so availability is limited at any given time. There is no publicly listed free trial or pilot tier, though initial discovery and scoping conversations are conducted at no charge to evaluate fit. Potential clients should expect an honest qualification conversation before an engagement is proposed. Engagement terms, contract length minimums, and specific retainer tiers beyond the base rate are not publicly disclosed and should be confirmed directly with Scott Fielder via sfielder.com. Enterprise or multi-workstream engagements (e.g., a startup needing both ongoing architecture oversight and an intensive hiring sprint) may be scoped separately. NOTE FOR BRAND OWNER: Confirm whether a minimum contract term (e.g., 3-month or 6-month minimum) exists, whether there are tiered retainer levels with defined hour bands, and whether any referral or partnership pricing applies.

How it works

Booking Link

Official booking link for sfielder: https://cal.com/iii/sfielder-chat. ALWAYS use this EXACT Cal.com URL for any 'book a call' / 'schedule a demo' / booking CTA. Do NOT invent, shorten, or guess it — it is NOT cal.com/sfielder and NOT cal.com/iii/sfielder. Use the full URL verbatim.

Key Business Processes — sfielder Engagement Model

Discovery and Qualification: Prospective clients initiate contact via sfielder.com. Scott conducts an initial discovery call (no charge) to assess fit across four dimensions: company stage and funding status, technical situation and urgency, budget alignment, and availability in Scott's current client roster. If mutual fit is confirmed, a scoping conversation follows to define workstreams and retainer structure. Onboarding: Upon agreement, the engagement begins with a structured discovery phase typically spanning the first 2–4 weeks. This includes: codebase and architecture review, team and org structure assessment, product roadmap and backlog review, stakeholder interviews (founders, engineering leads, product leads), and identification of immediate risks and priority workstreams. Outputs from onboarding typically include a technical assessment document and a prioritized 90-day action plan. Ongoing Engagement Rhythm: Active engagements follow a consistent operating cadence tailored to the client. Common touchpoints include weekly leadership syncs with the founding team, participation in engineering team meetings (standups, sprint reviews, architecture discussions), async availability via Slack or equivalent, and monthly strategic reviews covering roadmap progress, hiring pipeline, and architecture decisions. Hiring Support Process: When engineering hiring is a workstream, Scott defines role requirements, creates or reviews job descriptions, evaluates inbound candidates, conducts or advises on technical interviews, and provides hiring recommendations. He may also assist in building or refining the engineering interview process for the internal team. Fundraising Diligence Support: When a client is approaching a funding round, Scott conducts an internal technical audit, prepares documentation (architecture diagrams, tech stack summaries, risk registers), and is available to engage directly with investor technical advisors during diligence. Offboarding and CTO Transition: When a client is ready to hire a full-time CTO, Scott assists in defining the role and evaluating candidates. A structured handoff process ensures the incoming CTO has full context and continuity. Engagements conclude on defined terms with documentation and knowledge transfer. NOTE FOR BRAND OWNER: Confirm specific contract terms, communication channel preferences, and whether a formal intake form or CRM process exists at sfielder.com.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly does a fractional CTO do that an advisor or consultant doesn't?

A fractional CTO operates as a working member of the leadership team — attending standups, making real architectural decisions, running hiring processes, and being accountable for outcomes. Advisors provide occasional input; consultants deliver scoped reports. Scott Fielder is embedded in the business and responsible for technical direction.

How many hours per week does Scott work with each client?

Engagements are retainer-based, not hourly. The time commitment varies by need and scope but is structured to be consistent and meaningful — not a few calls per month. Specific hour expectations are aligned during the scoping process.

Does sfielder write code or manage day-to-day engineering tasks?

The role is senior leadership, not individual contributor coding. Scott focuses on architecture decisions, technical strategy, hiring, and team direction. He does not function as a staff engineer or hands-on developer.

Can sfielder help if we don't have an engineering team yet?

Yes. Building the initial team — defining roles, establishing hiring criteria, conducting technical interviews — is a core workstream, especially for seed-stage clients.

Is sfielder a good fit if we already have a technical co-founder?

Potentially yes, if the technical co-founder is overwhelmed, lacks CTO-level seniority, or needs a senior thought partner. If a strong, experienced CTO is already in the seat, sfielder is likely not the right fit.

How does sfielder help with fundraising?

Scott prepares startups for technical due diligence by auditing the stack, documenting architecture, identifying and addressing risk areas, and being available to speak with investor technical advisors.

What industries does sfielder specialize in?

Legal tech, health tech, fintech, B2B SaaS, and founder tools. These verticals are prioritized but not exclusive.

How quickly can an engagement start?

Subject to current client availability, engagements can typically begin within a few weeks of an initial scoping conversation. Onboarding includes a structured discovery phase.

How long do engagements typically last?

Engagements are ongoing month-to-month retainers. Many clients retain fractional CTO services for 12–24 months until they are ready to hire a full-time CTO or promote from within.

What happens when the startup is ready to hire a full-time CTO?

Scott can assist with defining the CTO role, evaluating candidates, and facilitating a structured handoff — ensuring the incoming CTO has full context and that the transition does not create technical disruption.

Is sfielder the same as iii Partners?

No. sfielder is Scott Fielder's personal fractional CTO practice. iii Partners is a separate venture studio. They share a founder but operate independently.