Hire a fractional chief product officer
Fractional CPO
A fractional chief product officer is a senior product leader who works for you part of the week. They set the direction, decide what gets built and why, and give the roadmap a real owner. Tell us what you need and we send you people who fit.
- No deposit to get started
- Every requirement read by us
- A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
- One agreement, one invoice
What a fractional chief product officer does
A fractional chief product officer owns product decisions. Which problems the company solves, for whom, and in what order. They talk to customers, turn what they learn into a roadmap and hold the line when every request looks urgent.
Companies often bring in a CPO when the founder has been acting as head of product and cannot keep doing it. Or when engineering ships steadily but nobody is sure it is shipping the right things.
Signs you need product leadership
The roadmap is a list of customer requests. Sales promises features engineering has never heard of. Releases go out and nobody checks whether they changed anything. Your product managers, if you have them, have no senior person to learn from.
A fractional CPO fixes the system that causes these problems. They often then help you hire the product managers or head of product who will run it day to day.
CPO or CPTO
A chief product and technology officer, or CPTO, holds product and engineering in one seat. Smaller companies often choose it because one person can decide what to build and make sure it gets built well. There is no gap between the roadmap and the engineering plan.
It suits a company with a small engineering group and a product that changes quickly. It is harder when engineering is large or the technical risk is high, because both halves need real time. In that case a fractional CPO alongside a fractional or full-time CTO usually works better. Tell us which seat you mean and we look for people who have held it.
Tell us the role and the hours. We send you a shortlist of people who fit.
- No deposit to get started
- Every requirement read by us
- A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
- One agreement, one invoice
What a fractional CPO usually takes on
-
Product strategy A clear statement of who the product is for and what it will and will not do. -
Discovery Regular customer conversations and tests before anything big gets built. -
Roadmap ownership A roadmap tied to results, and a way of saying no. -
Product hiring Defining and hiring product managers, and coaching them. - AI in the product Deciding where AI really helps users, and working with your engineers on what is possible.
What to look for
Look for a product leader who has worked at a company of your stage and type, whether that is business software, a consumer app or a marketplace. Ask them about a product bet that failed and what they learnt. Ask how they would spend their time with you, and who they would want to talk to.
A fractional CPO needs authority over the roadmap to be useful. Agree that before they start.
Tell us the role and the hours. We send you a shortlist of people who fit.
- No deposit to get started
- Every requirement read by us
- A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
- One agreement, one invoice
How hiring works with us
- 01
Send your requirement
Describe the product, the stage you are at and what is not working. There is no deposit.
- 02
Get a shortlist
We read every requirement ourselves. If something is unclear, we ask. We send a shortlist of product leaders who fit your market and stage, with each person's CV and a short note on why they fit.
- 03
Talk and choose
You talk to whoever you like and choose. You do not have to hire anyone. You agree the work and the authority over the roadmap with the CPO you pick.
- 04
One agreement and one invoice
You sign one agreement with us and get one invoice, on terms agreed in writing before anything starts. You pay our fee only when someone starts.
Send your fractional CPO requirement
Tell us about the product and what you need someone to own.
- No deposit to get started
- Every requirement read by us
- A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
- One agreement, one invoice
Where fractional product leaders are based
FAQ
Fractional CPO questions
What is a fractional CPO?
A chief product officer who works with your company part of the week. They own product strategy, customer discovery and the roadmap, and usually lead product at other companies too.
Should you hire a fractional CPO?
If product decisions are piling up on the founder, or engineering is busy but results are not moving, a fractional CPO is often a good fix. If you need someone managing product people every day, hire full time.
What is a fractional CPTO?
A chief product and technology officer who leads both product and engineering for part of the week. It suits smaller companies that want one owner for what gets built and how.
What is the difference between a fractional CPO and an interim CPO?
An interim CPO usually covers the role full time for a fixed period, such as between permanent hires. A fractional CPO works part of the week and can stay as long as you need.
What should I look for when hiring a fractional CPO?
Experience at your stage and in your type of market, a clear way of deciding what not to build, and a record of hiring and coaching product managers.
How do I vet a fractional CPO before hiring?
Ask them to walk you through a roadmap they built and why. Talk to founders or CEOs they reported to. Give them a real product question from your business to think through with you.
Explore more
- How it works
What happens after you send your requirement, step by step.
- Fees
No deposit. One agreement and one invoice when someone starts.
- What is fractional
Senior leaders for part of the week, and when that makes sense.
- Locations
Talent based across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.