Sam sam-pop

Sam P.

Fractional CTO · AI Engineer · Technical Advisor

I help founders and leadership teams decide what to build,
how to build it, and then make sure it gets built right.

What I do

I can talk through a P&L and a system design in the same meeting. I turn business goals into technical decisions, and I explain technical constraints in terms leadership can act on.

Lately a lot of that work is AI. Most companies have a few places where a model is worth what it costs. I find those and build them, and I'll tell you when a simpler tool would do the job.

Background

I've built and run technology functions at multiple companies over the years, often starting from nothing. That has covered infrastructure, security, and the internal systems each business depends on. I've acted as CISO, managed vendors, and automated a good share of the back office along the way.

As a founder and fractional CTO, I've taken products from first spec to production. That usually means writing the data model and product specs, setting the architecture, and then hiring and running the team that builds it. I also build and run software of my own, so I know what it takes to keep a product working after launch.

How I work

Code is the last step. By the time a developer starts, the specs and the data model are settled, so the build is execution instead of discovery.
I write decisions down: what we chose, why, and what would make us change course. Six months later, nobody has to guess.
You get my honest read, even when it's "don't build this."

How I help

AI strategy and integration Figure out where AI will pay off, then build it: LLM features, RAG and retrieval systems, agents with guardrails, and classifiers that route work so you only pay for a big model when you need one.

Technical strategy and architecture A roadmap your team can actually deliver, on an architecture you won't have to rip out in a year.	Team and hiring Hiring plans, interview loops, and code standards for in-house teams. I also find, vet, and manage outside dev shops.

Technical due diligence Codebase, team, and architecture reviews for founders and investors before a raise, an acquisition, or a big bet.	Delivery and execution I step in when a build has stalled or a release has to ship, then set up the process so it doesn't stall again.

Working together

Some clients want a few days a month of advice. Others want a fractional CTO who owns technical direction and manages the people or vendors doing the work. And sometimes a critical build needs someone to lead development directly until it launches. I do all three.

Stack

_{…and whatever else the job calls for. I pick tools to fit the problem.}

I take on a small number of fractional engagements at a time.
If you're weighing a build or an AI project, get in touch through the site.

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