I don't have a package menu. Engagements are shaped by the situation.
There are four shapes I see most often, and a fifth that pulls them all together when the situation calls for it.
AI Transformation
For executive teams whose engineers are adopting AI faster than the organization knows how to absorb the changes.
I help you set guardrails on AI-assisted development, get control of runaway token spend, and build the operating discipline that turns AI from a productivity story into a business one. Most of this work runs with the CTO or VP Engineering, with a parallel conversation with HR or People Ops about how AI is changing the shape of engineering roles inside the company.
How it shows up: Working sessions with engineering leadership, a written AI operating policy, real cost analysis on current spend, and a 90-day plan that names the specific moves and the people accountable for them.
Technical and Business Alignment
For founders and product owners working with engineering teams who want a partner who can hold both sides of the conversation.
I sit between the product mandate and the technical reality. I name the trade-offs in language both sides can act on, and I help you make calls that are technically sound and commercially honest. The work usually pairs a product owner with the technical lead and gets them aligned on what's actually being built, what's being deferred, and what's at stake either way.
How it shows up: Joint product and engineering working sessions, written decision memos that survive after I leave, and a feasibility-versus-impact map you can use in board conversations.
Engineering Leadership Development
For companies with talented engineering managers and directors who haven't led at this scope or in this kind of ambiguity before.
I coach them in real time, on the actual situations they're facing, until they're making the calls themselves. This isn't a training program. It's parallel work to whatever the technical engagement is, and the goal is for the manager to no longer need me.
How it shows up: One-on-one coaching, manager group sessions when that's the right shape, and a written growth plan for each leader that the executive sponsor signs off on.
Focused Diagnostic
A specific decision sitting in front of you (an AI strategy call, a hiring decision, a platform bet), or a vague sense that something structural is off and you want a clean read before you commit budget. Duration: 2 to 3 weeks, fixed fee.
I work the questions end to end. I talk to the people involved, look at the work, and write up what I find with specific recommendations. You walk away with the read and the option to either stop there or move into a longer engagement. Most engagements with me start here.
How it shows up: 2 to 3 weeks of work, a written report, a meeting to walk through it, and a clear yes-or-no on next steps.
Start with a Focused DiagnosticFull Picture
For situations where you need a single point of accountability across technical, business, and people decisions.
This is the version of working together where I'm holding all of the above at once. Engagements typically start with a 2 to 3 week diagnostic, then move into a multi-month engagement working with executives, engineering leaders, and the team in parallel. It is not the default. It's reserved for situations where the integration is the entire point.
How it shows up: A multi-month engagement with executive sponsor check-ins, embedded work with engineering leaders, hands-on technical work when the situation calls for it, and a single point of accountability for the outcome.
From first call to ongoing work.
Intro call
30 minutes. No charge. You tell me what's not working. I tell you whether I'm the right fit.
Diagnostic proposal
If we're a fit, I write up what I think the underlying questions are, what answering them would take, and a fixed fee for the work. You either agree or we revise.
Diagnostic engagement
2 to 3 weeks. I work through what's happening, talk to the people involved, and produce a written read.
Decision point
We either stop here or move into a longer engagement. The diagnostic is built to make this call easy.
Ongoing engagement
Scope and duration depend on what the diagnostic surfaced. Pricing is set after the diagnostic and put in writing.
Questions worth answering up front.
Who is this for?
Executive teams (CEO, CTO, COO, VP Engineering, Head of People Ops) at venture-backed companies at Series A and above, typically 30 to 300 employees. If you have an engineering organization moving on AI and no clear sense of whether they're moving in the right direction, you're in the right place.
Are you a fractional CTO?
Sometimes. The fractional CTO label fits some engagements (a founder-stage non-engineer team with no permanent technical leader yet) and doesn't fit others (where there's already a CTO and the question is about translation and alignment, not coverage). I'd rather show up as what the engagement actually needs than wear the label that markets best.
How much do engagements cost?
Engagements scale with scope and duration. A Focused Diagnostic is the most predictable starting point and is fixed fee. After the intro call, I'll send you a written proposal with a number on it. Larger engagements get priced after the diagnostic so the scope is honest.
Will you replace our existing engineering leadership?
No. Most of my engagements work alongside the existing CTO or VP Engineering, sometimes as a thought partner, sometimes as a coach to managers a layer down. The few times I've stepped in as the primary technical leader, it has been by direct request from non-engineer founders who didn't have one in place.
Do you write code?
Yes. I'm hands-on with AI-assisted development tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Lovable, Gemini, Copilot) and I've shipped production work with them for clients in the last six months. Whether the engagement involves me writing code depends on what you need from it.
What size companies do you work with?
Most often Series A to Series C, with engineering teams between 5 and 100. I also work with earlier-stage non-engineer founders building on AI tools, where the engagement looks more like a partnership than a standard consulting deal.
Where are you based?
Sacramento and the SF Bay Area. Most engagements are remote with occasional in-person time when it matters.
How do I know if I should book a call?
If you can't tell whether your engineering organization is moving in the right direction, or you have a decision coming up (an AI bet, a hire, a platform call) and you want a read from someone who has lived through that decision numerous times, 30 minutes on a call is worth your time.
Want to find out which of these matches your situation?
30 minutes. No charge. No pitch.