Engineering advisory for startup leaders

Better decisions create stronger engineering organizations.

Bring the architecture decision, delivery constraint, leadership gap, or AI question that matters. I bring the executive judgment to turn it into a clear course of action.

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20+ years

leading engineering organizations

Former CTO / SVP

executive operating perspective

Engineering leader

Founder of Startups & Code

Ways to work together

Choose the level of judgment the decision requires.

The AI Readiness Audit is a fixed $3,500 for two weeks. Scope and pricing for the other engagements follow the strategy call.

$3,500

AI Readiness Audit

2 weeks

Identify the highest-value changes for practical AI adoption.

For leaders whose teams are using AI tools without repeatable engineering leverage. Identify workflow bottlenecks, adoption gaps, and missing guardrails.

What you leave with

  • Concise findings readout
  • Prioritized action plan

Starting at $5,000

Executive Engineering Review

Focused executive engagement

Make a consequential engineering decision with clarity.

For founders and engineering leaders facing a decision about architecture, roadmap, hiring, delivery, team structure, or where AI belongs in the organization.

What you leave with

  • Written assessment of priorities and risks
  • Clear recommendations with explicit tradeoffs
  • 90-day action plan

Starting at $15,000

AI Engineering Sprint

2–4 weeks

Improve delivery by changing how the engineering team works.

A focused engagement that applies AI to real development workflows while strengthening the operating system around the tools.

What you leave with

  • Practical AI-assisted development workflows
  • Engineering process and tooling improvements
  • Guardrails, adoption plan, and measurable next steps

Starting at $7,500/month

Fractional Engineering Advisor

Ongoing advisory

Add senior engineering judgment without hiring a full-time executive.

For companies that need an experienced partner in the room for leadership, architecture, roadmap, hiring, delivery, and practical AI decisions.

What you leave with

  • Leadership and roadmap guidance
  • Architecture, hiring, and team decisions
  • Ongoing judgment on AI and engineering effectiveness

Executive judgment

The work starts with the decision—not the deliverable.

A useful engagement creates clarity where the stakes are high and the right answer depends on business context, not a generic framework.

  • Should we build this now—or not at all?
  • Is the architecture right for the next stage?
  • Where is engineering time being lost?
  • Which leadership or hiring gap matters most?
  • Where can AI improve delivery without creating new risk?
  • What should change in the next 90 days?

Who I work with

A strong fit

  • Series A–C or founder-led companies
  • CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and technical founders
  • Engineering organizations of roughly 10–150 people
  • Companies actively investing in product development
  • Leaders prepared to act on clear recommendations

Protecting the fit

Not the right engagement

  • Prompt-engineering training
  • Low-cost implementation help
  • Staff-augmentation projects
  • Price-first consultant selection
  • Teams still deciding whether AI matters

A straightforward start

What Happens After the Strategy Call

  1. 01

    Initial strategy conversation

    Bring the decision, constraint, or organizational challenge that matters most.

  2. 02

    Understand the context

    We surface the business goals, engineering realities, and tradeoffs around it.

  3. 03

    Recommend the right engagement

    I propose the smallest useful engagement—or tell you when there is not a fit.

  4. 04

    Execute with measurable outcomes

    We agree on priorities, ownership, and what meaningful improvement looks like.

From people I’ve worked with

I had the pleasure of working closely with John for over 3 years at Obsess. He is an exceptional technology leader who combines big-picture vision with a genuinely hands-on approach.

Neha Singh

Founder & CEO, Stellar AEO Labs

LinkedIn recommendation · October 2026

John is the kind of CTO every startup dreams of, someone who not only understands technology at a deep level but also knows how to align it with business goals to drive real impact. He has a rare ability to balance high-level strategy with hands-on execution, whether it’s scaling engineering teams, optimizing infrastructure, or building products that truly resonate with users.

Virgilio D. Torres

CEO & Chairman, TEN Holdings

LinkedIn recommendation · March 2025

John is that rare combination of exceptional technical leader and genuinely inspiring people manager. Under his leadership, our engineering team has seen zero turnover for over two years…

Adam Hill

Head of People, Sydecar

Worked together at Obsess · February 2025

John is 1 of the sharpest tech guys I've ever worked with spanning my 30 yr career in all things digital. His code is precise & pristine scaling up as efficiently as possible. An amazing team player and problem solver he is incredibly valuable when trying to scope out a complex technical challenge.

Ryan Bifulco

Entrepreneur & Digital Pioneer

LinkedIn recommendation · February 2025

Start with the decision

Bring the engineering question you cannot afford to get wrong.

We will determine whether there is a useful fit and what the smallest effective engagement looks like.

Book a Strategy Call