Is Moore’s Law still applicable?
Every week brings new tools, capabilities, and competitors who are figuring out how to leverage them. The real question isn’t if your company will integrate AI – it’s how fast and how smartly you’ll do it. AI is becoming a must have not a nice-to-have.
Hiring a full-time Chief Technology Officer with extensive AI expertise may be a viable option. This said, the cost is high, the talent pool is scarce, and the risk of making the wrong hire is real.
That’s why more companies are turning to engaging a fractional CTO – particularly one who specializes in AI.
What’s a Fractional CTO?
Think of it as executive-level AI expertise on a monthly subscription model. A fractional CTO isn’t an advisor on the sidelines; they embed with your leadership team for a set number of hours or days per month, guiding strategy, overseeing implementation, and aligning technology with your business goals.
This means helping you cut through the hype to find the leverageable uses that move the needle.
Why Specialize in AI?
AI isn’t just another tech upgrade, it’s a platform shift – as fundamental as the internet or mobile.
A fractional CTO with AI expertise can:
- Identify quick wins – Automating repetitive workflows, enhancing customer interactions, or improving forecasting accuracy without massive upfront investments.
- Meet your team where they are at!
- Future Tech Stack – Assist with selecting tools and architectures that can scale with your growth and fit with current platforms.
- Bridge business and technology – Translate AI possibilities into concrete business outcomes your leadership and teams can understand and execute on.
- Accelerate adoption – Move from “we should do something with AI” to measurable ROI in months, or weeks, not years.
The Strategic Advantage
AI’s biggest returns often come from embedding it into core processes – the things you do every day that create your competitive advantage. Items that tie directly to your brand promise. An issue I see coming is just like the early days of SEO where the message was simple, “we’ll get you on Google Page One.” You were either on page 1 or your brand did not get seen. Most never delivered this prime real estate.
AI consultants, advisors, and yes, snake oil peddlers are beginning to come out of the woodwork promising AI magic.
Buyer beware, ask one simple question to the messenger:
How long have you been working with AI?
How many AI projects have you completed?
The Bottom Line
You may not need to commit to a $300K salary and benefits to get C-suite-level AI expertise. A fractional CTO can provide the vision, discipline, and momentum your company needs to harness AI intelligently — while keeping costs aligned with budgets and desired outcomes.
CEO Checklist: 3 Questions Before Hiring a Fractional AI CTO
- Is AI already disrupting your industry? If yes, you need leadership yesterday.
- Do you have processes ready to automate or enhance? Without these, AI will be a shiny distraction.
- Are you ready to act quickly on expert advice? Speed is the competitive edge in AI adoption.
If you would like to discuss this, let’s connect here on LinkedIn and schedule time to meet.