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Fractional CTO
Senior technical leadership a few days a month. Architecture, hiring, delivery and the decisions your team is waiting on.
Fractional CTO · Board adviser
Strategy, technology and AI decisions that hold up under scrutiny.
I'm Martin Jackson. I work with founders, boards and makers who need a senior technical partner without hiring a full-time CTO.
Who I work with
Founders
You are the bottleneck on every technical call. I take the decisions off your desk and leave a team that can make them next time.
Boards
You are asked to approve technology and AI plans you cannot easily test. I give you the questions, and the evidence to ask for.
Makers and charities
Small teams with big ambitions. Practical help to pick the right tools, avoid renting forever, and use AI you can trust.
Three ways to work together
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Board advisory
An independent technical voice in the room. Plain-English reads on risk, spend and the plan behind the slides.
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AI governance and assurance
Evidence gates before an AI feature ships. What it must prove, who signs it off, and what happens when it drifts.
Not sure which fits? Start with a conversation.
Book a 30-minute callCommon sense is not that common.
The name is the method. Ask the obvious question nobody asked, then check the answer.
Evidence before opinion
Every recommendation comes with what would prove it wrong.
Strong opinions, loosely held
A clear call you can act on, and a willingness to change it when the facts do.
Leave the team stronger
The goal is that you need me less, not more.
Questions people ask
What does a fractional CTO do?
A fractional CTO gives you senior technical leadership for a few days a month instead of a full-time hire. I make or unblock the technology decisions, set direction for the team, and help you hire a permanent CTO when you're ready.
When does a company need a fractional CTO rather than a full-time one?
When the technical decisions are bigger than the budget for a full-time CTO. Common moments are before a funding round, a first engineering hire, a platform rebuild, or an AI feature going to customers.
What is AI governance and assurance?
It's how you show an AI feature is safe to ship, and that it stays safe afterwards. I set the evidence it has to produce before release, who signs it off, and how you spot drift once it's live.
What should a board ask for before approving an AI project?
Evidence, not a demo. A board should see what the system has to prove, how it was tested, who owns it when it goes wrong, and what it costs to run each year.
Do you work with charities and small businesses?
Yes. I sit on charity boards and work with makers and small teams, and the advice is sized to the budget, which often means fewer tools, not more.
Where are you based?
Watford, just outside London. I work with clients across the UK, in person or remotely.
Have a decision that needs a second pair of eyes?
Thirty minutes, no pitch. You leave with a clearer next step either way.