Resources Before you build
Fractional CTO, technical cofounder, agency or build partner?
Four common ways to get a product built when you are not technical. They differ less in skill than in who carries the risk, who owns what, and who is still around a year later.
Quick definitions
- Technical cofounder: a partner who owns the technology long term, usually for a large equity stake and little or no salary at first.
- Fractional CTO: an experienced technical leader for a few days a month. Strategy, hiring and architecture reviews; rarely the build itself.
- Agency: a team paid by the hour or by milestone to deliver a defined scope.
- Build partner: a team that builds the product and stays with it, with some of its payment tied to how the product does.
Side by side
| Technical cofounder | Fractional CTO | Agency | Build partner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who builds | They do, then hire | Someone else | The agency | The partner |
| How they are paid | Mostly equity | Monthly retainer | Cash, hourly or milestones | Mix of cash, revenue share and sometimes equity |
| Your ownership | Diluted significantly | Untouched | Untouched | Depends on the deal; read the terms |
| Time to start | Months of searching | Weeks | Weeks | Weeks |
| Still there after launch? | Yes, if it works out | If you keep paying | Often not | That is the point |
Which fits your stage
- Idea, no customers yet: none of them, yet. Validate first; see how to validate before you build.
- Customers interested, need a credible plan for investors: a short paid scoping exercise. Our Fundraising Tech Pack does this in two weeks, from £2,500.
- Funded, clear scope, want clean ownership: an agency or a build partner on fixed milestones.
- Real customers close to paying, limited cash: a build partner that shares the risk, or a cofounder if you find the right one.
- Product live, growing team: a fractional CTO can help you hire your first engineers.
Questions to ask any of them
- Who owns the code, the cloud accounts and the domain, and when?
- What happens if we part ways halfway through?
- Is there a written scope, and how are changes priced?
- If equity is involved, what is the maximum, and how does it vest?
Where Pixelperinches fits
We are a build partner with three tracks. Paid Build is milestone fees and nothing else; a first commercial release typically runs £40k to £100k. Founder's Path is a reduced, paced fee plus a capped revenue share until the agreed Build Value is recovered, with an optional minority stake that vests against delivery. Studio Bet is by selection, for founders whose pilot customers have already paid deposits. In every track you keep control of the company. The sample term sheet shows how a Founder's Path deal works, with example numbers.