CTOs with a growing engineering team
You have 15–30+ engineers and need someone to manage delivery so you can focus on strategy and architecture.
Engineering Leadership
VP of Engineering / Head of Engineering
I step in as interim or fractional VP Engineering when engineering loses velocity: sprints are not closing, release cycles grow, seniors are overloaded with management. I restore delivery rhythm and ownership systems.
✓Restored delivery rhythm without new hires
✓Clear role structure and ownership in engineering
✓Delivery metrics that show actual team health
In short
The CTO typically owns technology strategy, architecture and direction. The VP Engineering owns the delivery system, team structure, processes, hiring and the predictability of execution. When the CTO is focused on strategy and engineering is losing velocity, you need VP Engineering or Head of Engineering support.
When engineering loses velocity
Signals that engineering needs structural support:
- ⚠Velocity drops despite a growing team — more people, less throughput
- ⚠Senior engineers manage instead of code — and are frustrated
- ⚠Release cycle grows from 1 week to 3–4 weeks without a clear reason
- ⚠No clear ownership in teams — every decision escalates to the CTO
- ⚠Onboarding new engineers takes too long and disrupts the existing team
- ⚠The CTO is a bottleneck — everything waits for their decision
Who this is for
Founders after team scaling
You hired 10+ engineers and velocity did not grow proportionally. You need a structural intervention.
Companies after VP Engineering departure
A gap at the Engineering Lead level and you need someone to carry the delivery rhythm without a 6-month search.
Portfolio companies with execution problems
The fund sees that engineering is not delivering round KPIs. You need a fast diagnosis and intervention.
What it covers
- →Delivery audit — mapping delivery process: bottlenecks, process debt, ownership
- →Sprint rhythm — setting up: planning, review, retro, standup — with clear agendas
- →Engineering ownership — clear responsibility per team, boundaries and escalation paths
- →Hiring and onboarding — processes for hiring and ramp-up of new engineers
- →Tech debt management — identifying debt blocking velocity and a repayment plan
- →Engineering metrics — DORA metrics or equivalent: deployment frequency, lead time, change failure rate
- →Manager development — coaching tech leads and team leads on delivery management
First 30 days
- 01
Delivery audit
Conversations with every tech lead and review of delivery metrics from the last 3 months. Identification of the 3 biggest velocity blockers.
- 02
Quick wins
Changes possible within a week without reorganization: sprint review agenda, ownership per initiative, escalation path. Visible effects quickly.
- 03
Structure and rhythm
Update of team structure and ownership. New rhythm: planning, review, retro, 1:1. Every team lead knows what they manage.
- 04
Delivery metrics
Deployment frequency, lead time, cycle time. Baseline and targets. Dashboard available to CTO and founder.
- 05
Scaling or handover
After 3–6 months: the system works, tech leads are equipped. Either we continue as Fractional or I prepare recruitment of a permanent VP Engineering.
What you receive
- ✓Delivery audit report — velocity blocker list with remediation plan
- ✓Engineering org design — structure, roles and ownership per team
- ✓Sprint playbook — agenda and format for planning, review, retro
- ✓Engineering metrics dashboard — DORA or equivalent
- ✓Tech debt map — prioritization and repayment plan
- ✓Hiring plan for missing engineering roles
Delivery metrics we track
Deployment frequency — how often the team ships to productionLead time for changes — from commit to productionChange failure rate — % of deployments requiring rollbackMean time to restore — how quickly incidents are resolvedSprint completion rate — % of committed items deliveredTech lead span of control — optimal 5–8 direct reports
CTO vs VP Engineering vs Head of Engineering
| Role | Focus | When needed |
|---|---|---|
| CTO | Tech strategy, architecture, investor relations | Always in VC-backed startups Seed+ |
| VP Engineering | Delivery system, team scaling, processes | When engineering has 15–25+ people, CTO needs offloading |
| Head of Engineering | Day-to-day delivery, tech lead management | When CTO is too strategic, operational leader needed |
| Fractional VP/HoE | Like VP/HoE, but 1–2 days/week without full-time cost | When you have gaps or need interim support |
Frequently asked questions
How is VP Engineering different from CTO?
The CTO owns technology strategy, architecture and direction. They represent technology to investors and the board. The VP Engineering owns the delivery system, team structure, processes and delivery predictability. In small companies one person covers both roles — that is normal up to ~20 engineers.
When should you separate VP Engineering from CTO?
When the CTO becomes a bottleneck for daily engineering decisions. Usually at 15–25 engineers with at least 2 levels of hierarchy. Before that, one strong person handles both roles.
How long does an interim VP Engineering engagement last?
Standard: 3–6 months. The goal is to restore delivery rhythm and prepare the organization for a permanent leader (or continue as Fractional). I do not build dependency — I build a system that works without me.
Do you also step in as Head of Engineering?
Yes. Depending on company structure and team scale — VP Engineering or Head of Engineering. The title is secondary, scope of responsibility is primary.
Will this replace my need to hire a permanent VP Engineering?
During the search — yes. And it helps with it: I will build the job description, scorecard and participate in the process, so the new person gets a ready-made operating system.
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