Engineering Professionals: Insights & Resources

Best Fractional CTO Services in Austin

Ryan Stevens

January 27, 2026

Best Fractional CTO Services in Austin

Austin's Best Outsourced CTO Services, Fractional CTO, & Virtual CTO Services

Austin isn’t just “the next Silicon Valley”—it’s its own ecosystem entirely. With a rich startup culture, top-tier technical talent, a wave of relocations, and a healthy mix of bootstrapped builders and venture-backed scale-ups, the Austin–Round Rock–Georgetown metro is home to thousands of companies building fast and thinking long-term.

But while product momentum is easy to find in Austin, senior technical leadership often lags behind—especially in early- to mid-stage companies where hiring a full-time CTO may be premature or out of budget.

That’s where fractional CTOs are changing the game.

Fractional CTOs are embedded technology leaders—brought in to stabilize platforms, align roadmaps, coach engineering teams, and scale products with confidence. Whether they’re in the seat for 10 hours a week or 6 months during a key transition, they offer clarity, velocity, and trust at exactly the right moment.

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Our Methodology: Austin Fractional CTO, Virtual CTO Services, and Outsourced CTOs

At Digital Reference, we’ve curated a set of Austin-area fractional CTOs who are actively reshaping what technical leadership looks like in one of the most energized tech cities in the world.

Our vetting process is consistent across regions. Each individual must:

✅ Operate as a fractional, interim, or embedded CTO
✅ Be based in or actively serving the Austin–Round Rock–Georgetown metro area
✅ Have a public professional profile (LinkedIn, website, or advisory business)
✅ Show a track record of success at startups, scale-ups, or in transformation contexts
✅ Align with Digital Reference values: clarity, execution, and referenceable leadership

This is about results, not titles.

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Meet The Best Fractional CTO, Virtual CTO, & Outsourced CTO Services in Austin

Riad Hasan

Riad Hasan is a fractional CTO and engineering leader who partners with tech-enabled startups to drive architecture design, team building, and agile transformation. With experience in regulated and secure environments, he helps founders balance technical vision with operational execution.

Highlights:
🔐 Experienced in highly-regulated industries and secure systems
🧩 Combines product vision with hands-on technical leadership
⚡ Focuses on team health, velocity, and maintainable systems

Riad helps startups build scalable, reliable platforms without losing pace.

Justin Dawson

Justin Dawson is a seasoned engineering executive and fractional CTO specializing in early-stage product development. He helps startups deliver MVPs efficiently, align technical roadmaps with business goals, and scale engineering teams with clarity.

Highlights:
🚀 Expert in launching MVPs quickly and effectively
🏗️ Balances short-term delivery needs with scalable architecture
🤝 Trusted by founders for clear, actionable decision-making

Justin ensures teams build fast while staying structurally sound.

Daniel Maynes

LinkedIn | Keynetica

Daniel Maynes is the founder and CTO of Keynetica, offering fractional CTO services to SaaS companies and product-led startups. He helps teams scale architecture, optimize development, and align technical execution with business growth objectives.

Highlights:
🧠 Combines business-savvy product strategy with technical execution
📈 Coaches engineering teams into high-performance organizations
⚙️ Experienced in startup operations and scaling infrastructure

Daniel enables founders to turn technical complexity into strategic advantage.

Diego Morales

LinkedIn | Chief Tech Consulting

Diego Morales leads Chief Tech Consulting and serves as a fractional CTO for companies undergoing technical transformation. He specializes in system modernization, automation, and agile project delivery—particularly for organizations rebuilding legacy infrastructure.

Highlights:
🔄 Skilled in digital transformation and lean delivery
☁️ Helps SMBs adopt scalable, cloud-native solutions
🛠️ Blends technical strategy with hands-on implementation

Diego helps teams modernize technology while maintaining operational momentum.

Nicholas Walker

LinkedIn | Aither Technology

Nicholas Walker provides fractional CTO support to early-stage tech companies, guiding founders on architecture, security, and scaling. He helps ensure systems are resilient, scalable, and investor-ready from MVP through growth.

Highlights:
🏗️ Trusted for building secure, scalable systems
🔐 Expertise in cybersecurity and enterprise integration
🧭 Aligns product vision with long-term technical planning

Nicholas helps startups build future-proof platforms with confidence.

Daniel Bondurant

Daniel Bondurant is a fractional CTO focused on building sustainable systems and mentoring early-stage teams. With strong technical and business skills, he guides startups to move quickly without accruing unnecessary technical debt.

Highlights:
⚖️ Emphasizes engineering process and architectural clarity
🛠️ Provides balanced, no-fluff leadership for lean teams
📈 Experienced in technical planning, hiring, and growth frameworks

Daniel helps founders scale systems and teams efficiently.

Marc P. Summers

Marc P. Summers is a fractional CTO and technical advisor with extensive experience in enterprise software, e-commerce, and SaaS. He supports teams in building scalable platforms, improving technical operations, and aligning engineering with business outcomes.

Highlights:
🏢 Decades of engineering leadership across diverse sectors
⚡ Focused on practical delivery and team enablement
🧭 Skilled at aligning engineering results with strategic goals

Marc helps organizations execute confidently while growing sustainably.

Annabel Power

LinkedIn | Marching Starfish

Annabel Power is the founder of Marching Starfish and a fractional CTO helping mission-driven organizations and early-stage startups build scalable technology. She brings expertise in product development, engineering leadership, and UX strategy.

Highlights:
🤝 Builds cross-functional alignment between tech and design
🏗️ Turns complex tech visions into clear, scalable products
🌱 Advocates for inclusive teams and ethical innovation

Annabel enables purpose-driven teams to scale with clarity and impact.

James Sowder

James Sowder is a fractional CTO and product strategist who supports early-stage companies through platform growth, team formation, and system upgrades. He helps founders balance speed with architecture and ensure tech supports long-term business goals.

Highlights:
🧑‍🏫 Coaches founders on platform and tech priorities
⚖️ Balances rapid delivery with code quality
☁️ Experienced in B2B SaaS, cloud platforms, and system performance

James helps startups scale efficiently while maintaining engineering excellence.

Why Austin Is a Prime City for Fractional CTOs

The Austin market is fast, founder-led, capital-rich, and platform-focused—but many companies aren’t ready (or willing) to lock in a $350K+ CTO hire. Instead, they want:

🧱 Real product and infrastructure leadership
⚙️ Help with engineering velocity and roadmap prioritization
🧠 Strategic insight on how to grow without technical debt
👥 Coaching for junior engineers or founders without tech backgrounds
📈 Technical due diligence support during fundraising

In every scenario, fractional CTOs offer leverage without liability.

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What These Austin-based CTOs Have in Common

Each leader featured here brings:

✅ Strategic clarity + operational muscle
✅ A founder-first mindset, especially in ambiguous or evolving orgs
✅ Trust—across investors, engineering teams, and boards
✅ Hands-on experience actually building things that scale
✅ An ability to lead without needing the spotlight

They don’t just plug in—they elevate the entire company.

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Related Resources from Digital Reference

📘 How to Hire a Fractional Executive
A practical guide for founders and operators navigating interim leadership.

📍 The Importance of Professional References
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📍 Find Local Fractional CTOs & Chief Technology Officers Near Me
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📘 Collecting Professional References: The Dos and Don’ts
References are often the make-or-break element of your next opportunity. Yet many professionals still treat the reference process as an afterthought or, worse, scramble to collect them last minute.

📗 The Talent Ecosystem: Why Fractional Operators Are Reshaping the C-Suite
Explore the structural shifts behind the rise of fractional leadership and what it means for your next hire.

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