Is it really the right solution for you?
Imagine this:
Your CTO (or another C-level leader) leaves, and overnight you’re in a management vacuum.
The teams start to struggle, because there is no overall technical direction in place, and you personally do not have the capacity or ability to fill the gap, especially not covering the tech.
The team still has work to deliver. Someone still has to make decisions. Vendors still need answers. Security and operational issues don’t pause. The board still expects updates. And yet the person who used to hold all of that context has walked out the door.
So you do what most companies do: you start looking for an interim.
But what if the “interim” model isn’t actually the best fit?
The gap isn’t always full-time
In a lot of companies, the real problem isn’t that you need a permanent replacement immediately.
The real problem is that you need experienced decision-making and leadership continuity while you stabilise things.
That can mean:
- keeping delivery moving without a new exec in place
- making sure priorities don’t drift
- reducing operational risk
- helping the team stay focused and calm
- creating a plan for the next 30–90 days
- supporting a hiring process properly, instead of rushing it
And in many cases, you don’t need that support 40–60 hours a week.
You need it consistently, but not constantly.
A fractional executive fills the vacuum differently
A fractional portfolio executive is a senior leader who steps in on a part-time basis and takes ownership of the “executive-shaped” work that still needs doing.
They’re not a consultant who writes a report and disappears. They’re also not staff augmentation.
They’re there to:
- lead decisions and create clarity
- unblock execution
- work with the team in the real world (not in theory)
- support stakeholders, investors, and the board
- stabilise operations while you figure out the long-term plan
The key difference is that it’s structured as ongoing leadership support, with a cadence, not a full-time role by default.
When fractional makes sense
Fractional leadership is often the right move when:
- you need continuity after a departure
- you’re hiring, but don’t want to rush the wrong person in
- the team needs direction and alignment more than “more hands”
- you’re in a regulated context and can’t afford drift
- reliability is shaky and incidents are starting to distract the organisation
- delivery is happening, but it’s not predictable
- your business is growing, and your current operating model is getting stretched
It also serves well when you need support across multiple areas (technology, operations, security, sometimes HR), but it is not enough to justify separate full-time hires.
What fractional engagement can look like in practice
This isn’t about parachuting in and trying to “run the show”. The goal is to stabilise, set direction, and make the team stronger.
A typical engagement might involve:
- an initial discovery phase (what’s happening, what’s stuck, what’s risky)
- a clear 30/60/90-day plan of action to get unstuck and get things flowing.
- a simple weekly cadence with leadership and team touchpoints
- decision support for architecture, delivery, hiring, and risk
- help creating an operating rhythm: ownership, metrics, and follow-through
- clean handover when the time is right — either to a new hire or an internal leader
That last part matters. Fractional should leave the company in a better place than it found it, not dependent on an external person.
What it’s not
It’s worth being clear about what this is not:
- It’s not paying for a permanent C-level seat without commitment.
- It’s not a slide deck and a set of recommendations.
- It’s not a ticket-taking role or “extra developer capacity”.
- It’s not taking ownership away from founders or the team.
Fractional leadership works best when it supports decision-making and execution, while ownership stays where it belongs.
A good question to ask yourself:
If you’re in that vacuum right now, or you can see it coming, do you need the experienced guidance, continuity and a clear plan while you stabilise now, and decide what to do next, giving you proper time to find the right long-term solution, without pressure?
If you find yourself in this very position, let’s talk!
Book a meeting with us – click the link!