Layer 1 · Strategic Intelligence

A senior lead, accountable for the decisions that compound.

Most teams do not need a platform on day one. They need someone senior who can say what to build, what to buy, what to retire, and what to fix first — and then stay to see it through.

Book a 30-minute call See pricing See how an engagement works

Your Fractional CTO

Jaras Funderburg

20+ years in enterprise infrastructure, cloud and security — identity and access, threat protection, data governance, Azure, AWS, VMware, Hyper-V — now bringing that judgment to teams that cannot justify a full-time CTO.

Jaras Funderburg leads each engagement for Mindpod. The same standard runs through everything Mindpod builds — including the AI-agent operating model the company itself is being built on, with human approval gates on every consequential action.

Book a 30-minute call More about Mindpod

The problem this solves

Technology decisions get made anyway. The question is whether anyone senior is accountable for them.

Decisions are made by default

The vendor with the best demo wins. The tool someone already knows becomes the standard. Nobody chose the architecture — it accumulated.

Nobody owns the sequence

Six good ideas compete for the same quarter. Without an owner, the loudest one ships and the most valuable one waits another year.

Risk is discovered, not managed

The gap in backup, access, or AI usage is found during an incident or an audit — which is the most expensive possible time to find it.

How an engagement works

Structured, time-boxed, and designed to leave you with artifacts you own.

Step 1

Assessment

A structured review of your stack, spend, risk posture, and the decisions currently in flight. You get a written findings document, not a sales deck.

Step 2

Roadmap

A sequenced plan: what happens this quarter, next quarter, and what is deliberately deferred — with the reasoning recorded so it survives staff turnover.

Step 3

Execution oversight

Standing time each month. Vendor evaluations, architecture review, escalation support, and the unglamorous work of keeping the plan honest.

Step 4

Handoff

The goal is a team that needs less of us over time. Documentation, decision records, and training go to you throughout — not at the end.

What is in scope

Strategy and planning

Technology roadmap and quarterly sequencing
AI strategy and realistic adoption planning
Build-versus-buy analysis
Budget and spend rationalization

Leadership and oversight

Executive and board-level advisory
Vendor and platform selection
Risk prioritization and remediation ordering
Technical hiring support and team structure

Pricing

Pick the level of senior attention you need.

Monthly retainers. Month-to-month after the first 90 days. A senior lead runs each engagement.

Security tier

Security Retainer

$4,500 per month

For firms with an MSP or internal IT that need a senior security owner.

Includes:

Monthly Microsoft 365 / Entra / Defender posture review
A prioritized risk register you own
Cyber-insurance and client-security-questionnaire support
Escalation access during business hours
A quarterly re-score against the Pulse Check baseline

Start here

Fractional CTO

$7,500 per month

The standard tier. For 50–500-seat firms without a CTO.

Everything in the Security Retainer, plus:

A technology roadmap with quarterly sequencing
Vendor and MSP oversight
AI / Copilot adoption plan and policy
Budget and spend rationalization
A monthly leadership meeting

Premium tier

Fractional CTO Plus

$12,000 per month

For firms in a heavy quarter: a Copilot rollout, a tenant merger, an audit finding, or a platform change.

Everything in Fractional CTO, plus:

Weekly working sessions
Architecture and build-vs-buy decisions
Executive / board-level reporting
Technical hiring support
A named point of contact for your MSP and key vendors

Scoped on the call

Interim CTO

From $15,000 per month

A short, defined stint as acting CTO through a transition, priced by scope after the call.

Scope it on a call

Not sure yet? Start with the M365 Pulse Check: fixed fee, from $4,500, read-only. Two to three weeks; you keep the report. If you sign any retainer within 30 days of the readout, the full fee is credited toward it.

Book a 30-minute call See the M365 Pulse Check

Who it’s for

50 to 500 seats, and the MSPs that serve them

Microsoft 365 firms

50–500-seat firms in law, finance, healthcare, and professional services.

Growing companies

Your IT “just accumulated.” A tool here, a vendor there, and nobody senior owns the whole picture.

MSPs

You want a senior security or CTO voice for your clients. Terms are set on the call, and there is no published partner rate.

Pricing FAQ

Before you book the call

What’s included vs. extra?

The work listed in your tier is included. Software licenses, MSP fees, and hands-on remediation labor are outside the retainer unless we scope them in.

Can we change tiers?

Yes. Move up or down at the next monthly cycle.

Is there a long contract?

No. Retainers are month-to-month after the first 90 days.

How does the Pulse Check credit work?

The M365 Pulse Check is a fixed fee, from $4,500. The full fee is credited toward a retainer only if you sign it within 30 days of the readout. You keep the report either way.

Do you replace our MSP?

No. We oversee your MSP and work alongside them.