As an engineering leader, you always have a lot of work to do and a lot of decisions to make.
It can be helpful to have an outside person to discuss these issues with.
It’s even better if this person is not your boss, subordinate, work peer or spouse. All those people are “in the system”, and you can’t speak to them with perfect candor, lest something you say should have an undesired consequence.
That’s where I come in. My role is to gain an understanding of the situations you face and help you talk through how you might address them. I serve as kind of a benevolent interrogator, helping you to scrutinize your own thinking and state your plans with appropriate precision and clarity.
In working with me, my hope and expectation is that you’ll not only strengthen your skills as an engineering leader but also gain a lifelong advocate and friend.
Read on to find out how we can work together.
FAQs
What kinds of things do you help with?
The main technical area I help my clients with is automated testing. In addition to testing we also for example might work on object-oriented programming, domain modeling, containerization or infrastructure. And of course, many clients come to me with help cleaning up legacy code.
But more than technical matters, I help my clients with bigger-picture concerns like prioritization, planning, design and personal development. I help my clients figure out what they want out of work and out of life, and help them make plans to make those things happen as well as put those plans into action.
If I contact you about consulting, what happens next?
First, usually within a few hours of you contacting me, we’ll have a call so I can learn more about you and your situation. The first thing I’ll ask you is what led you to contact me. Then, as you describe to me the situations you’re facing, I’ll ask follow-up questions to get a better understanding of what’s going on in your work and what kind of help you’re seeking.
Next, I’ll give you a chance to ask whatever you might like to ask about how the process works. Usually prospective clients of course want to know about the typical format of my consulting engagements as well as fees. I’ll share with you some examples of past clients I’ve worked with who seem similar to you.
Lastly, if it seems appropriate based on what we’ve talked about, I’ll ask you if you’d like to work together. If so, I’ll send you an invoice and we’ll start working together as soon as both our schedules allow.
Are you a “fractional CTO”?
No. I don’t serve in any sort of CTO role for my clients. My job is to help you, the engineering leader, build your skills and abilities, rather than to do the work for you.
We’re a small/early-stage/European company. Can we afford you?
Don’t be too quick to assume you can’t afford my services. Most of my engagements start off at just an hour per week of one-on-one calls. My clients tend to find that these one-hour calls provide a worthwhile return on investment, yet are still within affordable reach because one hour per week is obviously much less than hiring someone full-time.
Want to talk?
Fill out the form below and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours, usually less.