Fractional CTO
Senior Technology Leadership, On Your Terms
Rooted in our Human-AI Symbiosis approach — AI handles speed, humans handle judgment.
You don't need a full-time CTO to make great technology decisions. LSA Digital provides hands-on technology leadership — from architecture and strategy to team building and AI-native planning — with the compliance depth (FedRAMP, HIPAA, SOC 2, FISMA) most boutique practices avoid.
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Mike Idengren
Principal
Keith Mangold
Sr. Advisor
Sound Familiar?
These are the situations we walk into every day. If any hit close to home, we should talk.
“We have developers, but no technical direction.”
We provide the leadership layer — roadmap, priorities, architecture — so your builders can build.
“An agency built it, but can’t explain it.”
We audit what you have, document the architecture, and create a path to ownership.
“We’re spending on AI but can’t measure ROI.”
We tie AI initiatives to business outcomes with clear metrics and governance.
“Our CTO left and we don’t know what’s next.”
We stabilize, assess, and either lead until you hire or help you find the right person.
“We need an enterprise architecture program but don’t know where to start.”
We’ve built EA Centers of Excellence from scratch — governance frameworks, tooling, training, and adoption across entire organizations.
“We’re growing fast but our tech decisions feel reactive.”
We bring the strategic rhythm — quarterly roadmaps, architecture reviews, vendor evaluations — so you stop firefighting and start leading.
How We Work With You
Three engagement models, each designed for a different stage of growth. Pick the one that fits, or let us help you figure it out.
Strategic Advisor
4–8 hrs/week
~$5,000–$8,000/mo
Architecture reviews, vendor evaluation, technology roadmap guidance. Ideal when you need senior-level direction without full-time overhead.
Best for: Teams that have builders but need strategic direction
Embedded Leader
2–3 days/week
~$12,000–$20,000/mo
Hands-on team leadership, hiring guidance, sprint planning, stakeholder alignment. We sit alongside your team and lead from the inside.
Best for: Growing teams that need structure and engineering culture
Sprint CTO
6-week intensive
Project-based
Stand up your tech org, choose your stack, ship v1. An intensive engagement designed to get you from zero to launch-ready.
Best for: Startups pre-launch or companies spinning up a new product
Engagements typically range from $5,000 to $30,000 per month based on scope and hours. Schedule a call and we'll quote a precise range for your situation.
What You Get
Not just advice — execution. Every capability below is something we've delivered across healthcare, utilities, finance, aerospace, defense, retail, agriculture, nonprofit, and government.
Technology Strategy & Roadmapping
Define where you’re going and how to get there — stack choices, build-vs-buy, architecture decisions.
Team Structure & Hiring
From your first developer hire to scaling a 40-person engineering org. Role definitions, interview processes, culture.
Vendor & Contract Rationalization
Audit your vendor portfolio, eliminate redundant spend, and negotiate contracts that actually serve you.
Enterprise Architecture & EA Governance
Application rationalization, EA Centers of Excellence, governance frameworks, and the connective tissue between your CRMs, ERPs, and data warehouses.
Governance & Compliance
FedRAMP authorization support, HIPAA-compliant architecture, SOC 2 Type II readiness, FISMA controls, and AI risk management — without slowing your team to a crawl.
AI-Native Planning
Every engagement includes access to our AI services practice. Your CTO thinks AI-first, not AI-afterthought.
The People Behind the Practice
Technology leadership is personal. You're not hiring a slide deck — you're bringing in people who've built, led, and shipped across industries.
Mike Idengren
Principal · TOGAF, PMP, SAFe SPC, CISM
28+ years in enterprise architecture, BPM, and portfolio management across healthcare, utilities, retail, finance, aerospace, oil & gas, and federal/local government. From building EA Centers of Excellence at a Big Four firm to serving as chief architect on global aerospace centralization — Mike brings the strategic lens that connects technology decisions to business outcomes.
Keith Mangold
Sr. Advisor · PMP, CSPO, SAFe Agilist
29+ years leading technology teams across healthcare, fintech, defense, retail, agriculture, and nonprofit. From co-founding a financial transaction platform to directing 40-person engineering orgs to advising DoD agencies on enterprise architecture — Keith brings the operational depth that comes from building things for real.
Your CTO Could Be Here
We're growing our bench of senior technology leaders. If you have deep experience and want to help companies build the right way, let's talk.
What We Bring to the Table
We're selective about engagements, which means we don't have a wall of logos. What we do have is verifiable depth from the work we've already shipped.
Aerospace
Mike served as chief architect on a global aerospace centralization initiative impacting thousands of users.
Fintech
Keith led a 40-person engineering organization through a fintech acquisition and co-founded a financial transaction platform.
Federal / DoD
Combined federal and DoD advisory experience including enterprise architecture for government agencies and Big Four EA Centers of Excellence.
Why LSA Digital
Not a staffing agency. Not a solo consultant with a LinkedIn page. A technology practice with real depth.
57+
Combined Years of Technology Leadership
10+
Industries Served
40+
Person Engineering Teams Led
$500K+
In Tech Spend Eliminated for Clients
Not Just a CTO — An Entire Practice
When you engage LSA Digital for Fractional CTO services, you get access to our full capabilities. Your CTO doesn't just advise — they activate.
AI Services
Strategy, agentic AI, generative AI, automation, and governance — from concept to production.
Enterprise IT
Legacy modernization, cloud migration, Zero Trust security, and DevSecOps transformation.
Process Improvement
Process mining, AI agent deployment, and Human-in-the-Loop workflow design.
Accelerator
A 6-week hands-on mentorship to build real AI workflows and systems alongside your team.
See It in Production
Our 7 Human-AI products — MEDICODAX, LSARS, Squawk, and more — show what we actually build.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions we get about Fractional CTO engagements at LSA Digital.
What is a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO is a senior technology leader who works with your company part-time on a flexible, ongoing basis, providing strategic direction, architecture decisions, team leadership, and vendor oversight without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.
How is a fractional CTO different from a full-time CTO or a traditional consultant?
A full-time CTO is a permanent executive ($300K+/year fully loaded). A traditional consultant delivers a project and leaves. A fractional CTO sits between the two, they have skin in your long-term success but only cost what you actually need. Unlike consultants, they make decisions and own outcomes.
How much does a fractional CTO cost?
Engagements typically range from $5,000 to $30,000 per month based on hours and scope. Strategic Advisor (4 to 8 hrs/week) starts around $5K. Embedded Leader (2 to 3 days/week) runs $12 to 20K. Sprint CTO (intensive 6-week engagement) is quoted per project. Schedule a call and we will scope an exact range for your situation.
When should a company hire a fractional CTO?
Common triggers: your CTO just left, an agency built your product but cannot maintain it, you are scaling fast and tech decisions feel reactive, you need an enterprise architecture program but do not know where to start, or you need AI strategy that ties to real business outcomes.
Can a fractional CTO help with FedRAMP or HIPAA compliance?
Yes, that is one of our differentiators. We have 25+ years of enterprise IT experience including FedRAMP authorization support, HIPAA-compliant architecture for healthcare AI, SOC 2 Type II readiness, and FISMA controls for federal agencies. Most fractional CTO practices avoid compliance work. We lean in.
How do you handle technology decisions across multiple clients?
Each engagement gets a dedicated senior point of contact who is fully accountable for your outcomes. We deliberately keep the client list small so every engagement gets senior attention. No juniors learning on your dime, no bait-and-switch.
Can you work with our existing engineering team?
Yes. Most engagements involve coaching and leading existing teams, not replacing them. We provide the strategic layer and engineering culture so your builders can build. We have led engineering organizations as large as 40 people.
What is a typical engagement length?
Most engagements run 6 to 12 months minimum. Strategic Advisor relationships often continue indefinitely. Sprint CTO engagements are a fixed 6 weeks. We are not interested in 30-day try-and-leave arrangements. Fractional leadership only works when there is continuity.
How do you measure success?
We define outcomes upfront: shipped features, eliminated tech spend, hired engineers, ATO milestones, AI initiatives in production, vendor contracts renegotiated. Every quarter we review against those outcomes. If we are not delivering, we are honest about it.
Do you offer Sprint CTO engagements?
Yes. Sprint CTO is a 6-week intensive designed to stand up your tech organization, choose your stack, and ship v1. It pairs naturally with our 6-week Accelerator program for founders who need both strategic leadership and hands-on AI workflow building.
Related Resources
Compare fractional CTO options and see how LSA Digital stacks up against traditional consulting firms.
Let's Start With a Conversation
No pitch deck. No pressure. Just a candid conversation about where you are, where you want to go, and whether we're the right fit to help you get there.
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