Non-technical founders face a specific and expensive gap.
You have a vision. You have commercial instincts. You may even have a development team. But without experienced technical leadership at board level, you are making architecture decisions by intuition, briefing investors on technology you do not fully own, and building a company that may look very different at due diligence than it does today.
Hiring a permanent CTO too early is expensive and often results in the wrong hire. Not having one at all is a risk you cannot afford to carry past seed stage.
A senior technology partner at a cost structure that makes sense.
Ballista's CTO-on-Demand service gives you a senior technology partner — experienced at startup and scale-up level — who works as a genuine part of your leadership team.
This is not a retainer for occasional advice. It is an active, accountable role, augmented by AI tools that allow our partners to operate with the reach and productivity of a full-time hire.
Everything a CTO owns — without the full-time hire.
Technical architecture and roadmap
AI model and tooling strategy
Engineering team and hiring
Investor and board representation
Technical risk management
Due diligence preparation
Built for founders and scale-ups at specific stages.
Commercial or product founders
Post-seed companies
Established businesses with AI product lines
A structured, transparent engagement model.
Initial assessment (2–3 weeks)
Engagement model agreed
Active, accountable delivery
Transition planning
Start with an honest conversation about what you need.
We will tell you clearly whether CTO-on-Demand is the right fit for your situation, and what an engagement would look like in practice.
Book an initial call