SELFOIAOn-call CTO · from $1,500/month · Month to month
An on‑call CTO for your AI‑built app.
On-call CTO is a monthly plan that puts someone technical on call for the app you built with AI. We review changes before they ship, answer your technical questions, fix small things, and watch your errors and AI bills. It costs $1,500/month (up to 10 hours) or $2,500/month (up to 20 hours), month to month.
Month to month · No year-long contract · Built for founders at $3k–30k MRR
Sound familiar?
“I ship every week and hope nothing breaks.”
What's usually behind it
Nobody looks at a change before it goes live. A second pair of eyes on the risky ones (logins, payments, database rules) catches problems before your users do.
“My AI tool changed a lot of files. Is that safe to ship?”
What's usually behind it
AI tools often touch more than you asked for. Someone needs to read what changed before your users find out.
“I don't need a full-time CTO. I need someone I can ask.”
What's usually behind it
At your stage, a full-time technical hire can cost more than the work needs. What you need is fast, honest answers from someone who knows your app.
“I only find out it's broken when a customer tells me.”
What's usually behind it
No alerts on errors, failed payments or AI spend. You hear about problems last.
“A customer sent a security questionnaire. I have no idea what to write.”
What's usually behind it
You need honest answers and a summary you can send, not a certificate.
“I hired a freelancer, and I can't tell if their work is good.”
What's usually behind it
You're paying for code you can't read. A second pair of eyes before you merge it protects you both.
What we do each month, zone by zone
We look after the same five things we check in an audit, month after month, so the app you fixed stays fixed.
Leaks and Break-ins: before you ship
Money: payments and AI bills
Speed
Safety net
Your questions
- Answer technical questions from you, your customers or your investors in plain English.
- Help you answer security questionnaires honestly.
- Review work from freelancers or developers you hire.
- Help you choose tools and services, and tell you when something isn't worth it.
- Fix small things ourselves.
What your hours cover
$1,500/month (up to 10 hours)
On-call CTO · 10 hours
You ship a few changes a month and want someone to check the risky ones, watch your errors and bills, and answer questions.
$2,500/month (up to 20 hours)
On-call CTO · 20 hours
You ship every week, work with a freelancer or small team, or have business customers asking technical questions.
How the hours work
Hours count for reviews, answers, small fixes, watching alerts and calls.
Bigger jobs go into a fixed-price sprint, so they don't eat your month.
We tell you before you reach your limit, and never go over it without your OK.
Every month you get a short note: what we reviewed, fixed and watched, and the hours used.
Unused hours: don't roll over to the next month.
Why it costs less than a fractional CTO
A fractional CTO is a part-time executive: strategy, hiring, running a team, investor meetings. Much of the fee pays for leadership time. On-call CTO is narrower on purpose. It's hands-on help for your AI-built app: reviews, answers and fixes, with a monthly cap, working mostly in writing. You pay for the work your app needs, not for a seat at the table.
| Technical cofounder | Fractional CTO | On-call CTO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you give | A share of your company, often a salary too | A monthly fee | $1,500 or $2,500 a month |
| Commitment | Years | Depends on the contract | Month to month |
| What they do | Builds and leads everything technical | Strategy, hiring, team and roadmap | Reviews, answers, small fixes, watches errors and bills |
| Best when | Tech is the product and you want a partner | You have, or are building, a tech team | You built it yourself and need someone technical on call |
For comparison, as of September 2026: one UK consultancy lists consult-only help at $1,500 a week (Teamz Lab (opens in a new tab)), and one agency publishes $8,000–25,000 a month for a fractional CTO (Groovy Web (opens in a new tab)).
What you get every month
Reviews before you ship, on the changes that could hurt your users or your money.
Alerts set up in your own accounts for errors, failed payments, downtime and AI spend.
Plain-English answers to your technical questions, in writing.
Small fixes, done by us.
A monthly note: what we reviewed, fixed and watched, and what to do next.
How On‑call CTO works
- 1
We get to know your app.
We recommend starting with a Vibe Code Audit, so we already know where your app is fragile.
- 2
Pick 10 or 20 hours.
You pay monthly by card through Stripe. Cancel before your next billing date and you won't be charged again.
- 3
Send us changes and questions.
We set up your alerts in the first week and reply within 1 business day.
Price
On-call CTO
$1,500/month
up to 10 hours · $2,500/month for up to 20 hours
Month to month
No setup fee and no year-long contract.
Included
- Reviews of risky changes before they ship
- Alerts for errors, payments, downtime and AI spend
- Answers in plain English
- Small fixes, within your hours
Not included
- 24/7 emergency response
- Hiring or managing a team for you
- Big new features or rebuilds (these go into a fixed-price sprint)
- Legal or compliance advice, certificates or penetration tests
- A promise that nothing will ever break
Who's on call
Denys Kharkovskyy · Founder & lead engineer
SELFOIA is led by Denys Kharkovskyy, founder & lead engineer. He has been writing software since 2013, and as a team lead he reviews other engineers' code every day. That's the job here too. Every report is read and signed by Denys.
- 10+ years building software
- 20+ AI-built apps reviewed
- Worked on a real-time analytics platform used by 200+ companies
- 5.0 on Upwork (opens in a new tab)
- A team lead who reviews other engineers' code every day
Questions about On‑call CTO
Do I need a technical cofounder, a fractional CTO or an on-call CTO?
It depends on what you're missing. A technical cofounder makes sense when tech is the product and you want a long-term partner. A fractional CTO fits when you're building a tech team. If you built the app yourself and need someone technical to check changes, answer questions and watch for trouble, On-call CTO is the lighter, cheaper fit.
What's included in 10 hours?
Reviews of your riskiest changes before they ship, alerts for errors and AI spend, plain-English answers and small fixes, up to 10 hours a month. It suits founders who ship a few changes a month. If you ship weekly or work with a developer, the 20-hour plan fits better.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. It's month to month. Cancel before your next billing date and you won't be charged again.
Do unused hours roll over?
No. Your plan covers up to 10 or 20 hours in each month. If you regularly use less, we'll suggest the smaller plan.
What if I need more than 20 hours?
We tell you before you reach your limit. Bigger jobs, like fixing a payment flow or speeding up the app, go into a fixed-price sprint, so you know the cost upfront.
Do I need an audit first?
We recommend it. The audit shows us where your app is fragile, so your hours go on the right things from day one. Your audit fee counts toward a sprint if you need one.
How fast do you reply? Is it 24/7?
We reply within 1 business day, and faster for anything Critical during business hours. On-call CTO isn't a 24/7 emergency service. If you think a key has leaked right now, replace it first, then write to us.
Can you work with my freelancer or developer?
Yes. We can review their changes before they go live, answer their questions about your app, and tell you in plain English whether the work is solid.
Want someone technical on your side? Start with a free check.
Send us your app. Within 2 business days you get a written reply with the biggest risks we can see from outside. Then we'll tell you honestly whether you need On-call CTO, a one-off fix, or nothing at all.