The core signal
You need a fractional executive when a function has outgrown you but hasn't grown into a full-time seat. The work is real and senior — but it's 10-20 hours a week, not 40. Paying a full executive salary plus equity for that is overbuying; doing it yourself is the bottleneck. Fractional is the middle path.
By function
- Fractional COO / Head of Ops: delivery is inconsistent, you're holding operations together, and you can't scale because you're running the machine.
- Fractional CFO: the questions have shifted from bookkeeping to strategy — runway, pricing, a fundraise, a board model.
- Fractional CMO: you need marketing direction and a channel strategy, not just someone running campaigns.
- Fractional CTO: you're making architecture and technical-hiring decisions that will compound for years.
- Fractional CRO: growth has plateaued and sales and marketing aren't aligned.
Fractional vs full-time vs agency
| Option | Best when | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fractional | <$15M revenue; 10-20 hrs/wk of real work | $24K-$180K/yr |
| Full-time | Work fills a week; $15M+ or pre-transaction | $250K-$450K + equity |
| Agency | You need execution, not leadership | Varies |
An agency executes; a fractional executive leads and decides. If your problem is "no one's setting direction," that's a fractional hire, not an agency.
When NOT to hire fractional
If the work genuinely fills 40 hours a week, or you need someone in the building full-time for a transaction or a turnaround, hire full-time (or interim). And if you just need clean books or campaigns executed, hire a bookkeeper or an agency — not a fractional executive whose value is judgment, not hours.