Hourly
Hourly Advisory
From $350/hour
Bring a technology question or a plan that needs senior technical input. Use hourly advisory when you need advice without a monthly package.
Leadership
Fractional CTO
Get ongoing technology leadership from a former Amazon software development leader and senior software architect. Talegen helps small and mid-sized businesses set priorities, guide software projects, and make vendor and AI decisions without hiring a full-time CTO.
Pain points
When this service fits
- Technology decisions keep landing on your desk, but you have no senior technical leader to weigh the options.
- A software project has stalled, and you need a technical view of the plan before committing more budget.
- Your IT person handles daily support but needs leadership on architecture, vendors, and what to tackle next.
- You need to decide where AI belongs in the business before adding another tool or project.
Deliverables
What you receive
- Technology priorities tied to your business goals and agreed scope.
- Architecture and platform recommendations with the tradeoffs explained.
- Vendor and software-project guidance for the decisions in your engagement.
- Budget and staffing recommendations to support the work ahead.
- Next steps your leadership team can use to direct technical work.
Pricing
Choose Your Level of CTO Support
Choose hourly advice, monthly leadership, or a fixed-scope engagement. Your proposal defines the priorities and deliverables; implementation is quoted separately.
Monthly
CTO Advisory
From $2,650/month
8 Hours per Month
Keep a senior technical sounding board involved in recurring decisions. Focus the monthly hours on priorities, architecture questions, or vendor choices.
Monthly
CTO Partner
From $5,000/month
16 Hours per Month
Bring ongoing leadership to your technology roadmap and software projects. Use the additional time for vendor discussions and decisions with your team.
Monthly
Embedded CTO
From $9,500/month
32 Hours per Month
Make technical leadership part of a defined workstream, with more time for engineering direction and delivery oversight. This is part-time leadership; software development is quoted separately.
Fixed Scope
Technology Decision Review
From $3,300
Examine one technology decision in depth, with options, tradeoffs, and a recommendation. The written proposal sets the decision and the review's boundaries.
Fixed Scope
Technology Roadmap
From $7,500
90-Day Plan
Review the whole technology function and set a 90-day plan. Connect systems, vendors, technical risks, budget, and staffing priorities within the agreed scope.
Monthly packages are month-to-month with 30 days notice; unused monthly hours do not roll over. Extra hours are billed at $350/hour only after you approve them in writing. Final price is confirmed in a written proposal.
Team Hiring
Build Your Technical Team
Rob Kennedy interviewed hundreds of engineering and management candidates at Amazon, ran interview loops, and worked with HR recruiters. He trained in Amazon's interview and hiring procedures. As your fractional CTO, Rob brings a structured hiring process shaped by Amazon's leadership-principles approach to your technical hiring.
- 1
Define the Role
Rob works with you to define the responsibilities and technical skills the role needs.
- 2
Draft the Job Description
Rob writes a job description based on the role you have defined together.
- 3
Design the Interviews
Rob designs the interview process and scorecards so your team can assess candidates against consistent criteria.
- 4
Interview Candidates
Rob interviews alongside your team to assess candidates' technical skills and experience.
- 5
Lead the Debrief
Rob leads the hiring debrief, bringing the interview evidence together for your team to discuss.
- 6
Recommend Candidates
Rob works with your HR team or recruiter to review candidates and recommend whom to hire.
The final hiring decision and the offer are always yours to make.
Hiring support is part of Fractional CTO work, billed through the same packages or hourly advisory at the same rate.
Use cases
Examples of work this can unlock
Set a technology budget and sequence competing projects around business priorities.
A focused improvement that can reduce manual effort and clarify ownership.
Guide a platform replacement while keeping related software and integration decisions connected.
A focused improvement that can reduce manual effort and clarify ownership.
Review a stalled project's technical direction and help define a workable plan with the delivery team.
A focused improvement that can reduce manual effort and clarify ownership.
Decide what technical skills to hire for and where AI or automation fits in the roadmap.
A focused improvement that can reduce manual effort and clarify ownership.
Process
How the engagement works
1
Discover
We map your current workflow, tools, handoffs, and pain points.
2
Prioritize
We identify the highest-value automation or software opportunity.
3
Build
We implement a focused solution with practical architecture.
4
Improve
We measure, refine, and expand once value is proven.
Questions
What Does a Fractional CTO Do for a Small Business?+
A fractional CTO provides part-time technology leadership: setting direction, evaluating technical choices, and helping the owner guide projects and vendors. Talegen offers ongoing leadership or a structured engagement around a decision or roadmap.
How Is This Different From IT Support or Managed IT?+
IT support and managed IT generally handle day-to-day systems, user issues, and maintenance. A fractional CTO helps you set technology priorities and direct software, vendor, and architecture decisions alongside the people handling that daily work.
How Do Monthly Packages and Unused Hours Work?+
Choose 8, 16, or 32 hours per month, on a month-to-month basis with 30 days notice. Unused hours do not roll over. Extra hours cost $350/hour and require your written approval first; final price is confirmed in your written proposal.
Can Talegen Build What It Recommends?+
Yes. Talegen can scope software development, integration, and automation through its existing services. Implementation is quoted separately from CTO advisory and leadership work.
Do You Work Outside Central PA?+
Yes. Talegen is based in York, PA, and serves small and mid-sized businesses across the United States, including York, Lancaster, and Harrisburg.
How Do We Start?+
Book a free consultation and bring the technology decisions or project concerns you need help with. We can discuss whether hourly advisory, monthly leadership, or a fixed-scope engagement fits before confirming scope and price in a written proposal.
Can You Help Us Hire Engineers?+
Yes. As your fractional CTO, Rob can define the role, draft the job description, design interviews and scorecards, interview alongside your team, lead the debrief, and recommend candidates. The final hiring decision and the offer are yours to make.
Put a technical leader on your side
Book a free consultation to discuss the decisions ahead and the level of CTO support your business needs.
Find out if your team is ready to automate
This free assessment asks ten questions about your processes, data, and team, then gives you a plain-English next step you can act on.
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