The senior engineering leadership your company needs — without the full-time cost.
Fractional CTO, Fractional EM, and engineering advisory for startups and scaleups. 20 years of hands-on experience from Amazon, Atlassian, Canva, and Yandex.
Previously led engineering at
Services
Three ways to work together
Choose the engagement that fits your stage and need.
Fractional CTO
Senior technical leadership for startups that need a CTO's thinking without a full-time hire. I set technical direction, build your engineering org, and represent engineering to investors.
- Technical strategy & roadmap
- Engineering hiring & team building
- Architecture & process decisions
- Investor & board communication
Fractional Engineering Manager
I embed directly with your team as their day-to-day manager — running 1-1s, performance management, and delivery — while you search for or grow a permanent EM.
- Weekly 1-1s with each engineer
- Performance management & reviews
- Sprint ceremonies & delivery
- Team health & morale
EM Advisory & Coaching
Confidential coaching and advisory for CTOs, VPs, and engineering managers who want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and impact.
- 1:1 coaching for EMs & VPs
- EM effectiveness diagnostics
- Team health assessment
- IC → EM transition support
Who This Is For
You're in the right place if...
Founders & CEOs
Engineering leadership is taking more time than you have. You need someone you trust to lead the team while you focus on the business.
CTOs & VPs of Engineering
You want an outside perspective from someone who has scaled teams at top-tier companies — honest, confidential, and grounded in experience not theory.
HR & People Partners
Supporting an engineering org through growth or transition and need a credible engineering voice alongside people strategy.
The Problem
People issues masquerading as technical problems
Delivery, morale, and retention issues are often attributed to process or technical debt — when they actually stem from weak people leadership.
No senior technical voice
Architecture decisions made without the experience to back them
Engineering leadership gap
Can't afford or find a full-time CTO or EM right now
Ineffective 1-1s
Status updates instead of development
Unresolved conflict
Friction left to fester between team members
Unclear expectations
Engineers don't know what "good" looks like
Stalled careers
No clear path for growth or progression
How It Works
Getting started is simple
From first conversation to active engagement in under two weeks.
Discovery Call
30-min free call to understand your situation
Proposal
Clear scope, timeline, and engagement model
Kickoff
Meet the team, align on goals, begin work
Ongoing
Regular check-ins, adjustments, results
Outcomes
What you can expect
Technical direction clarity
Architecture and roadmap decisions your team can execute on
More effective 1-1s
Managers who develop people, not just manage tasks
Improved retention
Engineers who feel led and valued, not just managed
Faster hiring decisions
A structured interview process and hiring bar you can scale
Reduced delivery friction
Fewer blockers from unresolved people and process issues
Investor-ready engineering org
A team and process you can confidently show to investors
About
Aziz Namazov
I've spent two decades building software and leading engineers in environments where mistakes are expensive and expectations are high.
I've worked as an engineering leader at Amazon, Atlassian, Canva and Yandex — led distributed teams across time zones, hired and developed engineers and managers, and scaled systems and people through rapid growth.
Today I offer fractional CTO and engineering management for companies that need senior leadership without a full-time commitment — and advisory for leaders who want to grow their own effectiveness.
My approach is grounded in real experience, not management theory. Everything I do has been tested in production teams, under real constraints, with real consequences.
FAQ
Common questions
What's the difference between a fractional CTO and a consultant?
A consultant advises. A fractional CTO leads. I'm embedded with your team on an ongoing basis — attending standups, making decisions, managing people — just not full-time. You get the real thing, not a report with recommendations.
How many hours per week does this involve?
It depends on the engagement. Fractional CTO typically ranges from 1–3 days per week. Fractional EM can be 2–4 days depending on team size. Advisory is lighter — usually 2–4 hours per week. We define this together in the proposal.
What size company is this right for?
Fractional CTO works best for pre-Series C companies (roughly 5–80 engineers) that need senior technical leadership but aren't ready for a full-time hire. Fractional EM suits teams of 4–12 engineers. Advisory has no size constraint.
How long is a typical engagement?
Most engagements run 3–6 months minimum. Fractional roles often extend to 12 months as companies grow into permanent hires. Advisory relationships are typically ongoing monthly check-ins.
Is everything confidential?
Completely. Everything shared stays between us. All engagements include a mutual NDA. Confidentiality is non-negotiable — it's the foundation of this kind of work.
Get in Touch
Book a free discovery call
Tell me about your situation and I'll be in touch within 24 hours.
Or email directly: info@emelevate.com