Fractional CTO Portland
Technology leadership for growing Portland businesses. No full-time hire required.
Portland's economy blends a strong outdoor and lifestyle brand sector with growing technology, logistics, and manufacturing companies — many of them founder-led businesses that have scaled past the point where informal technology decisions still work. Portland businesses often have good instincts about their market but a technology setup that's grown by accident — a patchwork of tools, vendors, and workarounds nobody has stepped back to evaluate. A fractional CTO gives that business the senior technical judgment to fix it without hiring a full-time executive.
Services
Practical technology leadership. Explained without the jargon.
What working together actually looks like for Portland-area businesses.
Fractional CTO
Executive technology leadership a few days a month. Someone accountable for your technology decisions, your team or vendors, and your roadmap.
Learn moreAI Strategy
An honest look at where AI creates real value for your specific business — before you spend money finding out the hard way.
Learn moreTechnology Assessment
A structured review of your systems, vendors, and software that tells you what's working, what's at risk, and what to fix first.
Learn moreSoftware Development
When your current tools no longer fit, we figure out whether to fix, replace, or build — and make sure the project delivers what you actually need.
Learn moreIs This For You?
You probably don't need a full-time CTO.
But you do need someone.
This is for founders, CEOs, and COOs running growing Portland-area businesses who are hitting real technology constraints.
Technology decisions have become a source of stress rather than confidence as your Portland business has grown
You have developers, a technical team, or vendors in place, but no senior leader confirming they are focused on what actually matters
AI keeps coming up, and you want an honest, independent read on what it would actually mean for your business
You are about to make a significant technology investment and want an experienced second opinion first
Something feels off in your current setup, and you are not sure exactly what, or how serious it is
Why Mark
20 years in the room where technology either works or it doesn't.
Real operating experience across software, retail, ecommerce, fulfillment, and executive leadership — not advising from the outside.
47
retail stores moved to a new checkout system across 5 rollout waves
45
fulfillment locations connected in a working omnichannel network
20+
years in technology, with more than a decade in senior leadership
0
unnecessary jargon in how the work gets explained
Common Questions
Straight answers to the questions most people ask before reaching out.
Do you work with businesses based in Portland?
Yes. Most work is done remotely, so geography is not a limitation. I work with businesses across Oregon and across North America. The first step is a free 30-minute call to discuss your situation regardless of where you are located.
What does a fractional CTO actually do?
A fractional CTO provides executive technology leadership a few days a month, covering roadmap decisions, vendor oversight, team guidance, AI strategy, and risk management. Unlike a pure advisory engagement, I can get into the technical work directly when the situation calls for it.
How quickly can we get started?
Most engagements start within two weeks of an initial strategy call. The first step is a free 30-minute conversation to understand your situation and identify whether, and how, I can help.
What does this cost?
Engagements are scoped to what your business actually needs. The starting point is a free call, which gives us both a clear picture of the situation. If it makes sense to work together, I will tell you exactly what it would cost and why.
Ready to talk about your Portland business?
Book a free 30-minute call. No pitch, no obligation. Just a straight conversation about your situation and what makes sense.