Question 1

What is a fractional CTO?

Accepted Answer

A fractional CTO provides senior technical leadership on a part-time basis (typically 10-20 hours/week). You get CTO-level expertise for strategic decisions, architecture planning, and team leadership without the $400k-600k annual cost of a full-time executive.

Question 2

How much does a fractional CTO cost in 2025?

Accepted Answer

Fractional CTO services typically range from $5,000 to $25,000 per month, compared to $400k-600k annually for a full-time CTO. At Continuum, packages start at $5,000/month for maintenance and go up to $25,000/month for aggressive growth support.

Question 3

How long does it take to build a SaaS MVP?

Accepted Answer

With AI-accelerated development and senior expertise, we typically deliver MVPs in 30-60 days. Simple MVPs can be ready in 30 days, while more complex products may take 60-90 days. This is 2x faster than traditional development approaches.

Question 4

What's the difference between a fractional CTO and a development agency?

Accepted Answer

A fractional CTO becomes part of your leadership team, makes strategic technical decisions, owns outcomes, and provides long-term guidance. Agencies execute specific projects but don't provide ongoing strategic leadership or take ownership of your technical vision.

Question 5

How much does it cost to build an MVP in 2025?

Accepted Answer

MVP development typically costs $45,000-150,000 depending on complexity. At Continuum, our Refined MVP package delivers a production-ready product in 30-60 days for $45,000, with you owning 100% of the code.

Question 6

What tech stack should I use for my SaaS in 2025?

Accepted Answer

For B2B SaaS in 2025, we recommend: Next.js 14+ with App Router for frontend, PostgreSQL with Prisma for database, Clerk or NextAuth for authentication, and Vercel for hosting. This stack provides excellent developer velocity, scales to millions of users, and costs under $50/month at startup stage.

Technical Leadership

The Real Cost of a Full-Time CTO in 2025