A Fractional CPO gives an AI or SaaS startup senior product leadership without a full-time executive hire. I work one to two days a week across product strategy, roadmap ownership, discovery, AI MVP delivery, team decisions and launch, staying accountable for what changes and what ships rather than handing over a report.
WHEN FOUNDERS BRING ME IN
A fractional CPO is useful when the business has enough product complexity to need senior judgement, but not enough scale to justify a permanent executive.
The founder is still the default product manager and every important decision waits for them.
The roadmap is full, but nobody can explain which bets are tied to customer or commercial evidence.
Engineering is shipping, but discovery, prioritisation and product strategy are inconsistent.
You need senior product leadership now, but a full-time CPO would be too early, too expensive or too slow to hire.
You are between senior product hires and need somebody accountable for the roadmap while recruitment runs.
Your AI product works technically, but quality, evaluation, pricing and launch decisions still need senior ownership.
WHO IT'S FOR
You need senior product leadership without hiring a full-time CPO.
You want a product partner who can turn customer evidence into a focused roadmap and, where useful, help ship the MVP with AI.
You need senior product oversight across multiple client engagements without adding another permanent executive.
You need continuity, roadmap ownership and product operating rhythm while you recruit.
WHAT I OWN
The work combines executive product judgement with enough hands-on delivery to move the company forward between the days I am in the business.
Vision, positioning, roadmap and prioritisation grounded in customer, market and commercial evidence.
Take a validated problem through prototype, MVP, evaluation and launch using an AI-first delivery approach where it creates speed without sacrificing judgement.
Product rituals, decision ownership, hiring loops, coaching and a clearer operating model for your first or existing product team.
I use the Crossley Method to connect discovery, validation, MVP delivery, launch and first revenue to one product operating rhythm.
ENGAGEMENT & COST
The exact retainer depends on the company stage, number of days and whether I am mainly leading the function or also helping with hands-on product delivery.
Enough senior product time to move strategy, discovery and delivery without duplicating a full-time executive hire.
Typical retainer range depending on stage, cadence and whether the engagement includes hands-on delivery as well as product leadership.
Long enough to change the operating rhythm, ship meaningful work and leave the team with clearer decision systems rather than a one-off report.
For market-level context, see my 2026 Fractional CPO rates and benchmarks, including UK, US and EU day rates and retainers.
WHICH ROLE DO YOU NEED?
These roles overlap, but they solve different levels of product problem.
| Role | Best for | Typical cadence | Owns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional CPO | Company-level product leadership | 1-2 days/week | Strategy, roadmap, team, operating model, product outcomes |
| AI Product Manager | One AI product or product area | Contract or fractional | Discovery, evaluation, roadmap, delivery, launch |
| AI Product Consultant | A defined product problem or decision | Project or advisory | Diagnosis, strategy, recommendations, focused intervention |
If you need ongoing ownership of one AI product, see AI Product Manager. If you need a focused diagnosis or strategy intervention, see AI Product Consultant.
PROOF
Founded and led a SaaS platform from 2020 to 2025, scaling to 300+ venues with a reported £2.7M pre-money valuation.
Founder & CPO of a community carpooling platform, giving me direct exposure to early-stage product, marketplace and operational decisions.
Customer, commercial and SaaS experience that informs how I think about adoption, retention, operational reality and product decisions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Based in the UK? Fractional CPO UK covers UK-specific buying questions. For deeper pricing context, use the Fractional CPO benchmark dataset.
GET IN TOUCH
A short note is fine. Tell me the company stage, what is built, where decisions are slowing down and what outcome matters most.
Prefer LinkedIn? Connect with me
FRACTIONAL CPO GUIDES
These guides cover the buying questions founders usually have before choosing fractional product leadership.
A practical comparison of cost, availability, stage fit and the signals that tell you when full-time becomes the better choice.
Read the guide GUIDEThe difference between advice that ends with a recommendation and product leadership that stays accountable for the outcome.
Read the guide GUIDEWhen you need delivery capacity, when you need product leadership, and why the two purchases solve different risks.
Read the guideEXPLORE NEXT
Every stage from first idea to first revenue, mapped end to end.
Open data: day rates, retainer bands and engagement lengths across the UK, US and EU.
Read moreUK-specific costs, day rates, contracts and how engagements run.
Read moreFull-time cover for a gap, a turnaround or a funding round.
Read moreCost, commitment and stage-fit compared side by side.
Read more