Fractional CTO for SaaS platforms

Building scalable, reliable SaaS products from MVP to growth stage. Expert guidance on architecture, multi-tenancy, product development, and scaling your subscription business.

Challenge

SaaS product challenges

  • Multi-tenancy fundamentals: efficiently serving multiple customers
  • Product development velocity: shipping features quickly while maintaining quality
  • Technical debt: balancing speed to market with long-term maintainability
  • Scalability: growing from 10 to 1,000+ customers without major rewrites
  • Performance and reliability: fast page loads, minimal downtime, happy users
  • User experience: intuitive interfaces, smooth onboarding
  • Authentication and security: protecting customer data, preventing breaches
  • Billing and subscriptions: recurring payments, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations
  • APIs and integrations: connecting to other tools your customers use
  • Data management: backups, exports, migrations, data integrity

How I help

SaaS architecture and foundation
Efficient architecture for serving multiple customers
  • Multi-tenant design: efficient architecture for serving multiple customers
  • Database design: scalable data model that grows with your product
  • API-first architecture: build for web, mobile, and integrations from day one
  • Caching strategies: fast performance without expensive infrastructure
  • Background jobs: emails, notifications, reports without blocking users
  • Scalable infrastructure: start simple, scale as you grow
Product development velocity
Right tools and processes for your team
  • Tech stack selection: Right tools for your team and product
  • Development processes: git, CI/CD, code reviews, testing practices
  • Feature prioritization: balancing new features and technical debt
  • A/B testing framework: testing and validating product changes
  • Analytics integration: understanding how users use your product
  • Rapid prototyping: validating ideas quickly before full development
Authentication and user permissions
Secure authentication and access management
  • Secure authentication: email/password, social login, magic links
  • Team and workspace management: multi-user accounts, invites
  • Role-based permissions: admin, member, custom roles
  • Session management: secure, reliable user sessions
  • Password security: hashing, reset flows, 2FA
  • OAuth integration: Google, Microsoft, GitHub login
Performance and reliability
Fast page loads and minimal downtime
  • Page speed optimization: fast load times, responsive interface
  • Database optimization: efficient queries, proper indexing
  • Monitoring and alerts: understanding when things break before user complaints
  • Error tracking: quickly finding and fixing bugs
  • Uptime and availability: minimizing downtime, handling failures
  • Load testing: ensuring the application handles growth
Billing and subscription management
Stripe integration and payment automation
  • Stripe integration: recurring billing, trials, payment methods
  • Tiered pricing: different plans with different feature sets
  • Trial management: free trials, conversion optimization
  • Upgrade/downgrade flows: smooth plan changes
  • Usage tracking: monitoring and usage-based billing if needed
  • Failed payment handling: dunning, payment retry logic
Integrations and APIs
Connecting to your users' tools
  • REST API design: well-designed API for customers and partners
  • Webhook system: notifying other systems of events
  • OAuth provider: let users connect their accounts to other tools
  • Zapier/Make integration: no-code integrations for users
  • Import/export: CSV exports, data portability
  • Third-party integrations: connecting to popular tools in your niche

Common use cases

Specialized solutions for different types of SaaS

Productivity and collaboration
  • Task management applications
  • Note-taking and knowledge management
  • Time tracking and scheduling
  • Document collaboration
  • Communication tools
Business applications
  • CRM and sales tools
  • Invoicing and billing
  • Project management
  • Booking and appointment scheduling
  • Inventory management
Developer tools
  • API monitoring and testing
  • Code review and collaboration
  • Deployment and hosting
  • Analytics and monitoring
  • Documentation platforms
Content and creative tools
  • Content management systems
  • Email newsletters and marketing
  • Social media management
  • Video and podcast platforms
  • Design and creative tools
Vertical SaaS
  • Industry-specific workflow tools
  • Compliance and regulatory software
  • Specialized analytics
  • Niche marketplaces
  • Industry platforms

Technology stack and architecture

Modern technologies for high-performance SaaS

Frontend
  • React, Next.js, Vue.js, Svelte, TypeScript
  • Progressive Web Apps
  • Component libraries (Tailwind, Material UI, shadcn/ui)
  • State management (React Context, Zustand, Redux)
Backend and databases
  • Node.js, Python (Django/FastAPI), Ruby on Rails, .NET/C#
  • PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB
  • Redis for caching
  • Queues and workers: Redis Queue, Celery, Sidekiq, BullMQ
Authentication and billing
  • NextAuth, Auth0, Clerk, Supabase Auth
  • Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee for payments
  • Social login (Google, GitHub, Microsoft)
  • JWT tokens, session management
Hosting and infrastructure
  • Vercel, Netlify, Railway, Render
  • AWS, GCP, Azure (for scaling)
  • Kubernetes, Docker (when needed)
  • CI/CD: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI
Monitoring and analytics
  • Sentry, LogRocket for error tracking
  • Posthog, Mixpanel, Amplitude for analytics
  • DataDog, New Relic for monitoring
  • Prometheus, Grafana for metrics

How it works

1

Month 1: Foundation and quick wins

1 month

Audit current architecture and code. Identify performance bottlenecks. Quick wins (caching, query optimization). Set up monitoring and error tracking. Improve development processes.

2

Month 2-3: Core improvements

2 months

Database optimization. Authentication and permissions improvements. Billing integration or optimization. Performance optimization. Mobile responsiveness.

3

Month 4-6: Growth features and scale

3 months

API development. Key integrations. Advanced features (teams, workspaces). A/B testing framework. Scaling preparation.

Results you can expect

Technical improvements
  • Page loads 3-5x faster
  • 99.9%+ uptime
  • Efficient multi-tenant architecture
  • Smooth onboarding
  • Reliable billing and subscriptions
Business impact
  • 20-40% improvement in conversion
  • 30-50% reduction in churn (reliability)
  • Faster time-to-market for features
  • Reduced infrastructure costs
  • Happier customers (performance, reliability)
Development velocity
  • Feature development 2-3x faster
  • Automated testing and deployment
  • Fewer bugs and issues
  • Better code quality
  • Clear technical roadmap

Who this is for

Pre-Seed/Seed stage
Building first version of SaaS product. Need scalable architecture from the start. Choosing tech stack and tools.
Series A
Scaling from 100 to 1,000+ customers. Performance and reliability critical. Growing team (hiring first engineers).
Series A+
Thousands of customers. Complex features and workflows. Building engineering team.

Pricing

Suitable packages for SaaS platforms

Contract Length:

Advisor CTO

$3,600per month

6 hours per week, 24 hours per month

For early-stage startups with an MVP or an idea that need oversight and support without full-time involvement.

  • 2 strategic sessions per month (90 minutes each)
  • Technical stack and architecture audit
  • Slack support (48-hour response time)
  • Hiring support: candidate reviews and recommendations

What's included:

  • 6-month technical roadmap
  • Architecture guidelines document

Outcome:A clear plan and recommendations for technology and team development without the overhead of a full-time CTO.

Contract term:1 month

Growth CTO

Most popular

$6,000per month

10 hours per week, 40 hours per month

Post-Seed to Series A startups actively building product and team (3 to 10 engineers).

  • Weekly call with founders (1 hour)
  • Bi-weekly sprint reviews with the team
  • Active hiring involvement: sourcing, interviews, offers, onboarding
  • Product architecture and technical roadmap ownership
  • Emergency availability for critical situations
  • Slack support (24-hour response time)

What's included:

  • Quarterly OKRs for the technical team
  • Hiring playbook for first 5-10 engineers
  • Architecture Decision Records (ADR)

Outcome:A solid technical foundation and team ready for rapid growth and product scaling without chaos.

Contract term:from 3 months

Related services

Build an MVP
For new SaaS products
Learn more
Scale your product
Growth stage optimization
Learn more
Technology audit
Architecture assessment
Learn more

Frequently asked questions

Ready to build or scale your SaaS?

Start with a free 30-minute consultation. We'll discuss your goals, challenges, and determine how I can help.

or

Send a request

Fractional CTO for SaaS platforms - Anton Golosnichenko - Fractional CTO