Operating cadences
The weekly rhythm that keeps platform work visible
How to structure founder/CTO check-ins and engineering rituals to surface risk without creating meetings for sport.
Read on Substack →Your fractional CTO partner
I give you decisive technology leadership without the red tape and agency overhead.
I’m Waseem. I work directly with founders as a fractional CTO; designing architecture, guiding teams, and creating delivery rhythms that match your stage. No handoffs, no rotating cast.
Intentional time each week with you and your team.
How I show up
Fractional CTO / Advisory
Founder time every week
Working sessions with you and PMs to land decisions, unblock execution, and capture the why behind each call.
Architecture with guardrails, not baggage
Pragmatic patterns, vendor choices, and integration plans that can flex as you grow without overbuilding.
Delivering value
Clear visible progress, and measurable outcomes that connect engineering work to business goals.
Fractional thinking
Fractional in time, not in magnitude. Full leadership, applied with intent.
You get my senior decision-making, pattern-matching, and calm momentum without paying for a full-time CTO or an agency layer.
Presence
You work directly with me where it matters on roadmaps, architecture, hiring, and prioritisation moments.
Signal
Magnitude
Full-strength expertise applied to the right problems. Focused senior time, not fractional attention.
Depth
Clarity
Clear operating methods, decisions captured, and momentum that translates to product and revenue.
Outcomes
Who I work with
Tailored support for the stages where momentum is fragile.
Whether you’re proving product-market fit or scaling a platform, engagements are shaped to your context.
Early-stage
Startups
Shape an MVP with sensible guardrails, align build vs. buy decisions, and keep velocity without eroding quality
Growth
Scale-ups
Stabilise platforms, address technical debt, and mature engineering practices while shipping visible progress and keeping the business aligned.
Established
SMEs
Modernise stacks, create change-safe delivery patterns, and translate business objectives into pragmatic tech plans without vendor sprawl.
AI leverage
Pragmatic AI to compound your team, not distract it.
I help you pick the right AI path, ship quickly with guardrails, and keep humans in the loop where it matters.
Product
Ship AI only where it makes the product better
Thoughtful deployment of AI plans and features where and when needed. AI that delivers value and not just PR
Improved product through AI that delivers value to users.
Delivery
AI-powered teams without chaos
Integrate AI into build-test-release flows, codify prompts, and keep human review where it matters.
Faster delivery with predictable quality.
Ops
Automations that stick
Targeted automations across support, GTM, and ops with clear ownership and maintenance plans.
Less toil, durable runbooks, cleaner signals.
Field notes
Recent notes from the field
Lightweight insights and prompts from fractional engagements.
Architecture
Designing MVPs that can survive success
Choosing boundaries and integrations that won’t collapse when usage spikes, without over-engineering.
Read on Substack →People
Mentoring engineers into lead roles
Creating growth paths, pairing plans, and decision templates so emerging leads can operate with confidence.
Read on Substack →Longer essays and operating notes live at thinking.fractionalmindset.com.
Selected clients / roles
FintechHealthTechB2B SaaSData PlatformsProduct-Led Growth
Next step
Ready for calm, decisive technology leadership?
Let’s map your next quarter and create a cadence that keeps engineering outcomes aligned to strategy.