A Founding Engineer takes your startup from 0 to 1, building the core MVP and setting up technical architecture. Here is what the role covers, equity vs rate benchmarks, and how to hire.
Michael Melnyk·
A practical guide to deciding whether your startup needs a technical co-founder, a founding engineer, a fractional CTO, or a paid development partner.
Michael Melnyk·
Explore fractional CTO rates in 2026: compare hourly pricing ($150–$350/hr), monthly retainers ($3k–$15k/mo), equity compensation, and how startups calculate ROI against full-time executive salaries.
Michael Melnyk·
A fractional CTO provides senior technology strategy, architecture oversight, and team vetting on a flexible retainer. Here is what the role covers, how pricing works, and when to hire one.
Michael Melnyk·Describe the task, the stack or the problem. We connect you directly with developers who have shipped it before.
