An independent technology advisor for Gold Coast businesses.
Most businesses your size don’t need a full-time CTO or IT manager. They need someone senior to ask before they sign a software contract, hire a developer or start a big project. That’s what I do. I sit on your side of the table, I come to your office, and I don’t sell software or take commissions. Some people call this a fractional CTO.
Based on the Gold Coast. I visit businesses across South East Queensland.
Who this is for
Owners and managers of businesses with roughly 5 to 100 staff, where technology decisions land on someone who already has a different day job.
- You’re about to choose or replace a major system, and every demo looks the same.
- A vendor or an agency has quoted for a big project, and you’d like someone independent to read it before you sign.
- You pay for software half the team doesn’t use, and nobody is sure what could be cancelled.
- A developer or an agency is building something for you, and you have no way to tell whether it’s on track.
- Your technology has grown one purchase at a time, and you’d like a plan instead.
- Your IT provider keeps the computers running, but nobody is thinking about how the business should use technology.
What I do
The jobs a good CTO would do for you, sized for a business that doesn’t need one full time.
Choosing software
I turn what you actually need into a short list, sit in on the demos, check the contract and how you’d get your data out later, and recommend one. You decide, with the trade-offs in front of you.
A technology plan
Where you are now, what to fix first, what to leave alone and roughly what each step costs. A couple of pages you can act on, not a report that sits in a drawer.
A second opinion before you buy
Quotes, proposals and statements of work, read by someone who has written them. I tell you what’s missing, what looks overpriced and what to ask before you sign.
Managing developers and agencies
I write the brief, check the work as it’s delivered and translate between your team and the developers, so what you get is what you paid for.
Hiring technical people
When you’re ready to hire a developer or an IT person, I help define the role, sit in on interviews and judge the technical answers you can’t.
Someone to call
Between projects, a regular check-in and a person to ask before the next technology decision, instead of after it.
How it works
It starts with a conversation, not a contract. Most of the work happens at your office or on a video call, whichever suits the job.
A first conversation
Email me a few lines about what’s on your mind. We meet at your office or on a video call, and I tell you honestly whether I’m the right person for it.
A look at how things work today
I spend time with you and the people who use your systems, look at what you pay for and see where the time goes.
Written advice
A short written plan: what I’d do, in what order, and what I’d leave alone. It’s yours to keep, whether or not we keep working together.
Ongoing, if it helps
Some businesses keep me on for regular check-ins and to look after projects as they happen. Others call me when the next big decision comes up.
Where this experience comes from
I’ve been the person making these calls inside a growing business, and advising clients on them through DaTom since 2014.
Property & channel management platform
Over eight years at Homhero I went from senior engineer to solutions architect. I made the build-or-buy and platform decisions for a growing business, and planned the replacement of its old system while customers kept using it.
Consulting engagements
Through DaTom I’ve worked directly with business owners: understanding how their work actually flows before recommending or building anything.
- Mapped client workflows into delivery designs and integrated AI into them.
Before that
- 2016–18Co-Founder & Tech Lead, MoovskiCo-founded an early-stage venture and led engineering.
Dawid… has helped us grow and scale our business from startup thanks to his extensive knowledge in technology and systems architecture… [He understands] a project not only from a technological perspective, but from the business’ and users’ as well.
Questions I’m often asked
What is a fractional CTO?
A senior technology person who works for you part time instead of full time. For a business your size it usually means a few hours or days a month: enough to make good decisions and keep projects on track, without a full-time salary.
Are you an IT support company?
No. I don’t fix laptops, run a help desk or manage networks. If you need that, I can help you choose a managed IT provider and check what they propose.
Do you get commissions from software vendors?
No. I don’t resell software or take referral fees, so the option I recommend is the one that suits you best.
Do you come to us?
Yes. I’m based on the Gold Coast and visit businesses across the Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, Logan, Redland City and Brisbane. Quick check-ins work well on a video call.
Also for Gold Coast businesses
Got a technology decision coming up?
Email me a few lines about it. I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help, and what I’d look at first.