Fractional CTO assessments that win the engagement in week one.
The best fractional CTO walks in with a method, not a blank notebook. StackUp is the client-assessment platform advisors run in the first week of every engagement: a board-ready read on the client's entire technology function from under 30 minutes of their time, independent, repeatable, and billable from day one.
Independent · no upsell · money-back guarantee
Value surfaced in the first week
$410,000
- HighSingle point of failure in platform team$130K
- HighNo disaster recovery test in 18 months$110K
- MediumCloud spend unmanaged across 3 accounts$95K
- Quick winPatch cadence policy for critical systems$75K
Trusted by former CTOs of
The method
Turn discovery into a product, not a cost
Discovery is where engagements are won or stalled. StackUp turns it into a repeatable product you run with every client, so week one ends with findings on the table, not a promise of findings.
Walk in with evidence on day one
An independent framework removes the emotion and defensiveness from assessing a client's team and technology. You present benchmarked findings rather than personal opinions, which elevates your authority from the first meeting and protects the relationships you need to do the job. Advisors supporting investors run the same platform for tech due diligence.
Scale yourself across every client
One consistent technology assessment across your whole client base: comparable scores, a portfolio view, and StackUp Certification for clients who reach a verified score of 80+. The boring report writing is done for you, your time goes into the advice only you can give.
How it works
Three steps from cold start to trusted advisor
Deploy
Start the assessment in your first client week.
- Client's leadership completes it in under 30 minutes
- AI calling agents surface what the team really thinks
- It takes less than five minutes to get started
Present
Table findings while competitors are still scheduling interviews.
- Board-ready report with scores across eight pillars
- Every gap sized in dollars the CEO understands
- Benchmarks against peers and best practice
Convert
Turn discovery into a structured engagement.
- Prioritised action plan becomes your proposal
- Track delivery on the platform as you execute
- Clients scoring 80+ earn StackUp Certification
Why StackUp
Why advisors run StackUp instead of manual discovery
Built with some of the world's leading fractional CTOs, serving startups through to publicly listed companies.
Manual discovery
- Two to three weeks of interviews and digging
- Report writing that kills margin and momentum
- Findings coloured by who you talked to first
- Hard to bill for open-ended conversations
StackUp
- A complete, board-ready assessment in under 30 minutes
- Diagnosis 20x faster than manual discovery
- An independent framework that removes defensiveness
- Discovery that converts into paid engagements
Reviews
What fractional CTOs say about StackUp
Advisors who run StackUp with their clients, on what it changed about winning and delivering engagements.
It gives my clients an amazing first experience and frees me from the boring report writing so I can actually add value.
Looks like you've absolutely nailed it beyond what any of us had originally dreamed. Love it.
StackUp is your secret weapon for staying ahead.
Proof
Advisors and new CTOs who started with proof
Real engagements where an independent baseline in week one changed the shape of the whole engagement.
Fractional CTO converts discovery into paid engagement faster
Facing an open-ended discovery brief at a $25M B2B services company, this fractional CTO deployed StackUp and had an independent baseline inside the first fortnight, discovery converted into a six-month paid engagement.
"Discovery is important, but it's hard to bill for open-ended conversations."
CTO establishes credibility and roadmap in first 90 days
A newly appointed fintech CTO ran StackUp in week one, using the evidence to set direction in the first 90 days instead of defending inherited decisions.
"Instead of defending inherited decisions, I was setting direction."
FAQs
Fractional CTO questions, answered
What is a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO is an experienced technology executive who works with an organisation part-time or on engagement, providing CTO-level leadership without the full-time cost. They typically lead strategy, assess and strengthen the technology function, and guide boards and CEOs through technology decisions, often across several clients at once.
How does StackUp help fractional CTOs?
StackUp gives fractional CTOs a repeatable, scalable way to diagnose, communicate and prove value from day one. The platform assesses a client's entire technology function from under 30 minutes of their time, produces a board-ready report benchmarked across eight pillars, and turns the findings into a prioritised action plan you can convert into a structured engagement.
How long does a client assessment take?
The client's leadership completes the structured assessment in under 30 minutes, and getting started takes less than five minutes. Compare that with the two to three weeks of interviews, digging and report writing a manual discovery phase usually costs, StackUp's users diagnose around 20x faster.
Will clients see StackUp as replacing my judgement?
No, it removes the grunt work, not the advisor. StackUp handles the structured evidence-gathering and report writing, so your time goes into interpretation, prioritisation and the hard conversations. As one fractional CTO put it, it frees you from the boring report writing so you can actually add value.
What does it cost to try?
You can book a demo to unlock a free 30-day trial, and the Snapshot tier is free to self-assess with no credit card required. StackUp's guarantee for advisors is blunt: you'll feel the value in one week, or it's free.
Win your next engagement in the first meeting
Book a demo to unlock your free 30-day trial. 30 minutes with the founder. You'll feel the value in one week, or it's free.
Book a demo