Two weeks. Clear next steps.
For teams that know something is off but cannot name it. I review the codebase, the workflow, and the AI usage, and come back with a prioritised plan plus the standards to enforce it.
Fractional technical lead
The senior technical voice your team is missing.
I work with founders and small teams shipping with AI, where output is rising faster than judgment and platform decisions are getting expensive. Direct, hands-on, no consulting theatre.
Architecture and decisions
AI engineering guardrails
Platform rescue
Operating discipline
About
Ten years getting platforms live and keeping them moving.
Recent: Cinch, Heatio, Scyai. I take ownership of the platform problems other people leave open, get systems live, architect the AI layer, and act as the technical catalyst small teams need to move from MVP energy to something that actually runs.
Why teams bring me in
The code is moving. The system underneath it is not.
AI made output cheap and judgment harder. Teams ship more code, take on more architectural debt, and quietly weaken the processes that hold the system together.
The codebase is outrunning the architecture.
Decisions get made without ADRs or clear ownership.
AI-assisted output is rising faster than your ability to review it.
Platform work keeps stalling, getting reworked, or quietly stretching.
Engagements
One offer. Three shapes.
You bring the painful technical problem. I bring senior judgment, hands-on execution, and the operating discipline that holds up under pressure. The shape we pick depends on what you need first.
Senior cover, monthly.
For teams that need a CTO-shaped person for the next six to twelve months. Architecture, hiring quality, critical-path delivery, and ownership of the technical problems nobody else is fully carrying.
One thing, fixed properly.
For teams with a specific broken platform area, workflow, or system that has been stuck for too long. Scoped, owned end to end, delivered with the structural decisions that hold.
Proof
Track record.
Alexander Marks
Engineering & Platform Leader
“A rare balance of exceptional technical capability and genuine product thinking.”
Mike was dependable across the full stack, moving seamlessly between frontend, backend, and product considerations. He engaged thoughtfully with requirements, challenged assumptions when needed, and stayed focused on delivering value rather than just shipping code.
Jack Bramhall
Deputy Director, Service Management
“Work of extremely high standard, and most importantly, built to last.”
Huge technical knowledge, an ability to understand requirements, and a solid grounding in business challenges. Began design and implementation soon after starting and delivered cleanly.
What that looks like in practice
Energy-sector platform launch
Built and shipped the initial platform under tight timelines, while making the structural decisions that do not get redone six months later.
Deployment frequency
Took a team from roughly weekly releases to multiple safe deploys per day.
SOC 2 readiness
Took a startup from no formal controls to audit-ready. Policies, procedures, evidence, and the operating discipline to make them real.
Agentic development workflows
Guardrails for teams using Cursor, Codex, and Claude heavily. Speed without letting judgment, ownership, or code quality slip.
Contact
If it is a real problem with money attached, get in touch.
Easiest start is a 20-minute call. Book a slot and we will work out if I can help before anyone commits to anything. Or send a short paragraph by email: what is broken, why it matters, what you have tried.
- The actual pain
- Whether I'm the right help
- What a first engagement could look like
- No pitch. No slides.