When “CTO” Means Too Many Things in Early SaaS Products
A pattern I keep seeing with early-stage SaaS products is that “CTO” ends up being shorthand for three different responsibilities.
Writing the code.
Making long-term architectural decisions.
Being accountable when things break or need to scale.
Those responsibilities are not the problem. In fact, early on, it often makes sense for one person to own all three.
The trouble starts when they are split across contractors, agencies, or part-time contributors. That setup can work for a while, but it rarely holds up as the product grows.
The problems usually don’t show up as “bad code.”
They show up later as rewrites, stalled features, fragile systems, or founders realizing they don’t fully understand the product they are responsible for.
I’ve been brought in more than once after that point, when the real issue turned out not to be execution, but lack of clear technical ownership.
For context, I am a US-based developer who has been the single technical lead on several early-stage SaaS products. Sometimes that work was contractual and sometimes it was long term, but the common thread was the need for continuity and clear technical decisions rather than titles.
This isn’t a pitch for replacing a co-founder or hiring an agency.
It’s for founders who need one accountable person guiding technical decisions while the product is still taking shape.
— Joshua Dwire
If this sounds familiar, the rest of this page explains how I typically help founders avoid or untangle this situation in practice.
What we actually do
Bold Compass provides hands-on technical leadership for SaaS products. You work with one accountable US-based technical lead (the person you talk to), backed by a small team. That technical lead is directly involved in building the product, documenting key decisions, and keeping the technical direction consistent as the codebase grows.
- Architecture decisions that support future growth
- Hands-on feature development and implementation
- Stability as features are added or changed
- Reducing risk during releases
- Keeping the codebase understandable and maintainable over time
This is not task-based freelancing. This is direction + execution.
Goals, priorities, context
Direction + hands-on development
Build, test, ship, maintain
One accountable technical lead. Hands-on delivery under clear direction.
How this works at Bold Compass
- You work directly with a senior technical lead in the United States as your consistent point of contact
- That lead is hands-on and participates in day-to-day implementation
- Decisions are documented so the product doesn’t become “mystery code”
- As the roadmap evolves, the technical direction stays consistent
Who this is for (and who it isn’t)
Good fit if you:
- Are preparing to build a SaaS product (or rebuilding it the right way)
- Want one team accountable for long-term technical direction and delivery
- Care about maintainability and stability as you grow
- Prefer a long-term partner, not a short-term contractor
- Are ready to invest in building it correctly, not just quickly
Not a fit if you:
- Are looking for the cheapest option
- Need quick one-off help without ongoing ownership
- Want task execution without shared responsibility
- Are still validating whether you want to build a SaaS at all
We’re selective about engagements to protect continuity and quality.
How engagements typically start
We talk through your product idea, goals, and constraints.
We define a sensible architecture, initial scope, and delivery path.
We build, ship, and keep the technical direction steady as you grow.
Many engagements start around $10k and grow as the roadmap becomes clearer. Some clients plan $50k–$150k over 12 months as they scale.
What you can expect
Clear technical direction, documented decisions, and a maintainable codebase.
Fewer surprises in production and releases that don’t feel like a gamble.
Hands-on delivery that keeps moving without constant resets or rewrites.
Let’s see if this makes sense for your product.
If you’re serious about building a SaaS product with long-term stability, it’s worth a quick conversation.
Prefer a written estimate? Get a quote.
Want examples first? See past projects.