Technical Leadership

Fractional CTO: Stealth MarTech Startup

Challenge: Stealth-mode MarTech startup in the affiliate marketing space needed senior technical leadership to guide architectural decisions, establish development processes, and ensure technical execution aligned with business goals. Three-person team (business + 2 technical) in pre-seed stage facing critical technology decisions without executive technical expertise.

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Executive Summary

Provided fractional CTO services for early-stage affiliate marketing startup during their beta product launch. Delivered strategic technical leadership, architecture decisions, and infrastructure guidance on a part-time basis (10-15 hours/week), enabling the company to move from concept to customer-validated product without full-time executive overhead.

Key Results:

  • Beta product launched on schedule to early customer cohort
  • Positive initial feedback validating product-market fit
  • Technical foundation established for scaling roadmap
  • Part-time engagement maintained during active job search
  • Current experience enabling strong interview positioning

The Challenge

Startup Context

Company: Stealth-mode MarTech startup in affiliate marketing space
Stage: Pre-seed / early customer validation
Team Size: 3 people (business + 2 technical)
Funding: Bootstrapped with small angel investment

The Problem:

  • Needed experienced technical leadership for beta launch
  • Couldn’t justify full-time CTO salary during validation phase
  • Required architecture guidance for technology stack decisions
  • Needed vendor evaluation for core platform capabilities
  • Lacked experience with production deployment and scaling considerations

Why Fractional vs. Full-Time

Startup Constraints:

  • Limited runway during customer validation
  • Uncertain revenue timeline
  • Need for flexibility during product iteration
  • Risk mitigation for founder equity

My Situation:

  • Active job search (wanted flexibility)
  • Deep MarTech domain expertise (perfect fit)
  • Needed current technical leadership experience
  • Desired portfolio work for interview positioning

Alignment: Part-time engagement solved both needs perfectly.

My Role

Strategic Technical Leadership (10-15 hours/week)

Primary Responsibilities:

  1. Architecture design for affiliate marketing automation platform
  2. Technology stack selection with vendor evaluation
  3. Development roadmap creation with phased rollout
  4. Code review and quality standards establishment
  5. Infrastructure decisions for deployment and scaling
  6. Technical liaison with business stakeholders

Working Model:

  • 2x weekly meetings (planning + review)
  • Async code review via GitHub
  • On-demand architecture consultation
  • Strategic planning sessions monthly

Key Contributions

Product Launch

Scope: Beta product enabling affiliate marketers to automate partner recruitment and relationship management.

My Deliverables:

  • Technical architecture document with system diagram
  • Technology stack selection with rationale
  • Development roadmap with milestones and dependencies
  • Beta launch plan with risk mitigation
  • Infrastructure design for MVP deployment

Outcome:

  • Beta launched on schedule to early customers
  • Positive feedback from initial cohort
  • No critical technical issues during launch
  • Smooth onboarding experience for early users

Architecture Decisions

Technology Stack Selected:

Frontend:

  • Framework: Next.js (App Router)
  • Language: TypeScript 5
  • Styling: Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui
  • Rationale: Modern, well-supported, strong TypeScript ecosystem

Backend:

  • Platform: Vercel Edge Functions
  • Database: Neon (PostgreSQL)
  • ORM: Drizzle (with Prisma for migrations)
  • Rationale: Serverless scalability, PostgreSQL reliability, type-safe queries

Infrastructure:

  • Hosting: Vercel (frontend + edge functions)
  • Database: Neon (serverless PostgreSQL)
  • Email: SendMail (transactional messaging)
  • Auth: Next-Auth (authentication)
  • Payments: [TBD based on revenue model]

Decision Framework Used:

  1. Time-to-market: Prioritize speed to beta
  2. Cost efficiency: Minimize fixed costs during validation
  3. Scalability: Easy path from MVP to production scale
  4. Developer experience: Enable fast iteration
  5. Ecosystem maturity: Avoid bleeding-edge risk

Key Trade-offs:

  • Chose: Vercel over AWS (faster deployment, simpler ops)
  • Chose: Neon over RDS (serverless scaling, lower minimum cost)
  • Chose: Next.js over separate frontend/backend (faster development)
  • Deferred: Kubernetes, microservices (premature for MVP)

Development Roadmap

Phase 1: MVP (Beta Launch)

  • Core affiliate recruitment workflow
  • Basic partner relationship management
  • Simple performance tracking
  • Email notifications
  • Timeline: 8 weeks

Phase 2: Enhanced Features

  • Advanced filtering and search
  • Automated outreach campaigns
  • Integration with affiliate networks
  • Performance analytics dashboard
  • Timeline: 12 weeks post-beta

Phase 3: Platform Maturity

  • API for third-party integrations
  • White-label capabilities
  • Advanced reporting and insights
  • Mobile app consideration
  • Timeline: 6 months post-launch

Roadmap Principles:

  • Ship minimum viable features fast
  • Validate with customers before building more
  • Defer optimization until product-market fit
  • Keep architecture flexible for iteration

Vendor Evaluation

Categories Evaluated:

Email Service Providers:

  • Options: SendMail, Resend, SendGrid, Mailgun
  • Selection: SendMail
  • Rationale: Best deliverability, simple API, reasonable pricing

Database Hosting:

  • Options: Neon, Supabase, PlanetScale, AWS RDS
  • Selection: Neon
  • Rationale: Serverless PostgreSQL, generous free tier, easy Vercel integration

Authentication:

  • Options: Next-Auth, Clerk, Auth0, Supabase Auth
  • Selection: Next-Auth
  • Rationale: Open-source, flexible, no vendor lock-in, good Next.js integration

Evaluation Criteria:

  1. Cost at MVP scale vs. production scale
  2. Integration complexity and time
  3. Vendor lock-in risk
  4. Support quality and documentation
  5. Community ecosystem

Team Leadership

Code Review Focus:

  • Security best practices (input validation, SQL injection prevention)
  • Performance optimization (database queries, N+1 problems)
  • Code organization (modular structure, separation of concerns)
  • Error handling (graceful degradation, user-friendly messages)
  • Testing coverage (unit tests for business logic)

Quality Standards Established:

  • TypeScript strict mode enforced
  • ESLint + Prettier for consistency
  • Git branch strategy (main, develop, feature branches)
  • PR review process before merging
  • Deployment checklist for releases

Development Process:

  • Sprint planning weekly
  • Async standup via Slack
  • Code review within 24 hours
  • Demo to stakeholders bi-weekly
  • Retrospectives monthly

Technical Liaison Role

Stakeholder Communication:

With Founders:

  • Translated technical constraints into business impact
  • Provided realistic timelines for feature requests
  • Explained architecture decisions in business terms
  • Advised on build vs. buy decisions
  • Guided pricing model based on infrastructure costs

With External Developers:

  • Provided clear technical requirements
  • Reviewed work for quality and alignment
  • Coordinated integration between components
  • Resolved technical blockers
  • Mentored on best practices

Communication Principles:

  • Over-communicate on risks and dependencies
  • Use diagrams and visuals for architecture
  • Provide options with trade-offs, not dictates
  • Document decisions with rationale
  • Regular progress updates

Results

Business Outcomes

Product Launch:

  • ✅ Beta launched on schedule
  • ✅ Early customers onboarded successfully
  • ✅ Positive initial feedback received
  • ✅ No critical bugs or outages
  • ✅ Product-market fit signals emerging

Technical Foundation:

  • Scalable architecture ready for growth
  • Clean codebase enabling fast iteration
  • Modern technology stack attracting talent
  • Reasonable infrastructure costs (<$500/month at beta)
  • Clear roadmap for next phases

Financial:

  • Avoided $150K-200K full-time CTO salary
  • Flexible engagement during uncertain phase
  • Part-time model ($5-7K/month) sustainable on bootstrap
  • Clear path to full-time if product succeeds

Architectural Highlights

System Design

High-Level Architecture:

[Browser] ←→ [Next.js App] ←→ [Vercel Edge Functions]
                ↓                       ↓
         [Static Pages]          [API Routes]
                                       ↓
                               [Neon PostgreSQL]
                                       ↓
                          [External Services]
                          - SendMail (email)
                          - Auth provider
                          - Analytics

Key Design Principles:

  • Serverless-first: Minimize operational overhead
  • Edge computing: Low latency globally
  • Type safety: End-to-end TypeScript
  • Security by default: Authentication, input validation, SQL injection prevention
  • Observability: Error tracking, performance monitoring

Database Schema Design

Core Entities:

  • Users (affiliates, merchants)
  • Campaigns (recruitment campaigns)
  • Invitations (sent invitations)
  • Relationships (affiliate-merchant relationships)
  • Performance (tracking data)

Design Considerations:

  • Normalized schema for data integrity
  • Indexes for common query patterns
  • Soft deletes for audit trail
  • UUID primary keys for distributed systems
  • Timestamps for all entities (created_at, updated_at)

Performance Optimizations:

  • Connection pooling via Neon
  • Query optimization (N+1 prevention)
  • Caching strategy for read-heavy data
  • Pagination for large result sets

Security Implementation

Authentication & Authorization:

  • JWT-based session management
  • Role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Secure password hashing (bcrypt)
  • Session timeout and refresh logic
  • CSRF protection on forms

API Security:

  • Input validation (Zod schemas)
  • SQL injection prevention (parameterized queries)
  • Rate limiting (per-user, per-endpoint)
  • CORS configuration
  • Security headers (CSP, HSTS, etc.)

Data Protection:

  • Encryption at rest (Neon default)
  • Encryption in transit (HTTPS only)
  • PII data handling compliance
  • Audit logging for sensitive operations

Lessons Learned

What Worked Well

Part-Time Model:

  • Flexibility enabled job search without compromise
  • Focused hours forced prioritization and efficiency
  • Async communication reduced meeting overhead
  • Clear scope prevented over-investment

Technology Choices:

  • Next.js + Vercel = fast iteration velocity
  • TypeScript = caught bugs early, improved confidence
  • Serverless = minimal operational burden
  • Modern stack = easier to hire developers

Communication:

  • Weekly meetings kept stakeholders aligned
  • Async code review via GitHub worked smoothly
  • Technical documentation prevented repeated questions
  • Regular demos maintained momentum

What I’d Do Differently

Earlier User Feedback:

  • Could have shipped alpha even earlier
  • More customer interviews before building
  • Prototype key workflows before full implementation

Documentation:

  • Start architecture docs from day one
  • Document decisions as made (not retroactively)
  • Create onboarding guide for future team members

Testing:

  • Set up automated testing earlier
  • More end-to-end tests for critical paths
  • Performance testing before beta launch

What This Demonstrates

For Fractional CTO / Consulting Roles:

  • Ability to deliver strategic value part-time
  • Strong communication with non-technical stakeholders
  • Modern technology stack expertise
  • Product launch experience with early-stage startups

For Full-Time CTO / VP Engineering Roles:

  • Technical leadership across architecture, team, and product
  • Experience with startup constraints and trade-offs
  • Ability to build with lean resources
  • Modern technology stack (Next.js, TypeScript, Vercel)

For Technical Leadership Positions:

  • Strategic thinking balanced with hands-on contribution
  • Cross-functional communication skills
  • Risk management and decision-making
  • Team mentorship and quality standards

Engagement Details

Duration: September 2025 - Present (ongoing)
Time Commitment: 10-15 hours/week
Engagement Model: Fractional CTO / Technical Advisor
Compensation: [Confidential]
Status: Active, ongoing

Company: Stealth MarTech startup (details available to serious inquiries)

Contact

Interested in fractional CTO services or technical advisory for your startup? Let’s discuss how strategic technical leadership can accelerate your product launch.

Get in Touch: stevenleve.com/contact
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/steve-leve

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