Direction Sprint
A focused first step
One to two weeks. I dig into your product, stack, and plans, then give you a clear technical roadmap, the build-vs-buy calls, and honest recommendations you can act on immediately. The low-risk way to start.
Fractional CTO & Technical Leadership
Senior engineering leadership,
without the full-time hire.
The practice of Michael Butler - a hands-on CTO for owner-led businesses where software matters, but there's no senior technical person in the building.
I set the direction and ship the product. A few clients at a time, so the attention is real.
Who I work with
You run a business where software matters - the product, the platform, the thing your customers touch.
But there's no senior technical leader, and a full-time CTO is the wrong cost, risk, or timeline right now.
You don't want an agency or a junior to manage. You want one experienced person who owns the tech, makes the calls, and ships. That's what I do.
How we work together
Three ways to engage - from a low-risk first step to leading a full build. Every engagement is strategy and delivery both; where the weight sits is up to you.
Fractional CTO
Ongoing leadership, a few days a month
The senior technical partner a full-time CTO would be - direction, architecture, hiring, and hands-on delivery - at the level of commitment you actually need. Monthly, rolling.
Build Partner
When something needs building, properly
I lead and ship a real product or platform over a defined stretch - the way I single-handedly built SIFS' Open Access. Strategy and the keyboard, both.
- Clear technical direction you can act on
- Working software, actually shipped
- Confidence in the expensive calls
- A team and process that outlasts me
- One person who owns “the tech”
Selected work
A mix of companies I've founded, led, and built for.
Insert Affiliate
A platform that lets app developers track affiliate-driven in-app purchases on iOS and Android, manage affiliates, and automate commission payouts.
insertaffiliate.com →
Fairground
A marketplace for the independent music sector - connecting artists, fans, venues, curators and labels to discover gigs and grow underground scenes.
fairground.music →
SIFS & Open Access
The School of International Financial Services delivers digital and in-person education to financial services professionals worldwide. As fractional CTO I lead the technology - and single-handedly built Open Access, the platform serving 350+ hours of live webinars and CPD a year across compliance, governance, taxation and digital assets. Strategy and the keyboard, both.
Daysium
A secure, real-time tax-compliance platform that automates day counting and record-keeping to protect the tax-residency status of globally mobile individuals. I worked with the team on consulting and development.
daysium.com →In their words
I have worked with Michael from MBX on a number of projects, most notably the development of SIFS' new Open Access platform. Having worked with many technology professionals over the years, I can confidently say that Michael is the best I have had the pleasure of working with.
Michael has been far more than a developer. He has helped us shape our technical direction, translate business requirements into practical solutions, and make sensible decisions about where to invest our time and budget. What particularly sets him apart is his ability to understand the wider commercial objectives while still getting into the detail and delivering.
Having someone we can rely on for both strategic technical leadership and hands-on execution has been enormously valuable.
I would highly recommend Michael and MBX to any growing business that needs experienced technology leadership and delivery capability, but does not necessarily require - or want the cost of - a full-time CTO.
About
I'm Michael Butler - a founder and engineer based in Jersey. I've been writing code since 2015 and working professionally since 2018, and in that time I've started my own product company, taken on the CTO role at a venture-backed marketplace, and acted as the fractional technical lead and sole developer for an international education business.
That range is the point. I've felt the pressure of being the person who has to make the call and ship the result. When I work with you, you get both: the perspective of someone who has run engineering, and the hands of someone who still builds.
MBX Technologies works with a small number of clients at a time, so the attention is genuine. If that sounds like what your team is missing, let's talk.
Let's talk
Not sure which fits? Most people start with a Direction Sprint. Tell me a little about your team and what you're trying to build - I read every message and reply personally.
Email michael@mbx.jePrefer LinkedIn? Connect with me there →