Hiring Your Tech or Product Leader

“Who leads the team as we grow?”

Your team has grown beyond what you can lead yourself. You need the right person to take it on.

Who it’s for

You’re a good fit if you…

are still the one everyone on the tech team turns to, and it’s slowing you down
are hiring an engineering manager, CTO, product manager, or CPO for the first time
work with a fractional CTO and want a full-time leader to take over

Probably not a fit if you…

are hiring developers rather than a leader: I can help you grow the team too
need someone to lead the team right now, while you search: ongoing support can bridge the gap

What you get

A clear role definition, worked out with you and your team
A job description and a structured interview process
Interviews and reference checks that test how candidates lead and decide
A clear recommendation, then an onboarding plan and check-ins during the new leader’s first month

How it works

Four to eight weeks, from the discovery call to your hiring decision.

Discovery call
Free
We talk about your team, where it’s stuck, and what the new leader should take off your plate.
Fixed quote
Within two working days
A fixed price and a timeline for the role.
Role definition
First two weeks
We define the role and the profile we’re looking for with you and your team. I write the job description and set up the interview process.
Interviews, recommendation, and onboarding
Two to six weeks
You or your HR team bring in candidates, and where it fits, I also tap into my own network. I run the first interviews myself, then we interview the shortlist together. You get my recommendation and make the final call, and I check in with the new leader during their first month.

Example

Real client work. Outside the case studies, client names are left out for confidentiality.

SiteOwl: hiring my own successor

Physical security SaaS, US, 2023

As SiteOwl moved toward larger customers, those customers expected to meet the vendor’s leadership, and SiteOwl needed a full-time CTO in the US who could be in the room as the person in charge of the technology. For the six years before, I had been SiteOwl’s fractional CTO, setting the technology strategy and leading the technical work day to day, so they offered me the role first. I chose to stay fractional and instead helped them hire the right person. I wrote the technical side of the role’s brief, covering the stack, how the system worked, and the skills and experience the job needed. Then I interviewed their leading candidate to make sure his technical background and his experience in technology strategy, including leading the technology of a SaaS company that size, fit where SiteOwl was heading.

He started in April 2023 and took over step by step, while I made sure he knew how things worked and why. He took on the technology strategy and spent much of his time with customers. I stayed on as engineering manager for two more years, running the team day to day so he could focus on the bigger picture.

Read the case study

Common questions

How is this different from a recruiter?

We come in at different points. First, I work out with you what the role needs and what the profile looks like. Then you or your HR team bring in candidates, and where it fits, I also tap into my own network. Once there are candidates, I screen them with you and help you choose the one who can actually lead your team.

What if we don’t have an HR team?

Then you post the role on LinkedIn or a job platform with the description I write, and I draw on my network where it fits. If you’d rather hand off the search itself, I can help you pick a recruiter.

Should our first tech leader be a CTO?

Not necessarily. Depending on where you are, an engineering manager or a strong senior developer who leads the team may fit better for now, with the CTO title later. Working out which role you actually need is the first step of the package.

Can you hand over to the new leader?

Yes. If I’ve been leading your team, the handover is part of the package. The new leader takes over gradually, while I make sure they know how things work and why. Afterwards I can stay on in a smaller role or step back.

What does your next stage need?

Tell me where your product and your team are heading. In a free call we look at what needs attention first and whether a review, a hire, or ongoing support fits.

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