Technical direction
The company needs senior technical leadership
Set technical vision, connect the engineering roadmap to business priorities, and add experienced leadership without making a full-time executive hire.
Fractional technology leadership for startups & growing companies
Clear technical direction for teams ready to scale.
I'm Mikael Danielian, an engineering leader and software architect. I help founders make high-stakes technical decisions, improve engineering delivery, and grow systems and teams with confidence.
15+ years in engineeringFrom full-stack developer to VP of Engineering
Mikael Danielian
Engineering leader & software architect
How I can help
Start with the problem, not a job title.
Choose the situation closest to yours. Each engagement is shaped around the decision, system, or team that needs attention.
See all consulting servicesTeam and delivery
The team is growing, but delivery is not keeping pace
Strengthen engineering operations, team structure, hiring, and delivery practices as the organization becomes more complex.
Architecture and risk
Architecture decisions carry too much uncertainty
Review the system, surface trade-offs, and make high-stakes technical decisions with a view of scalability, complexity, and delivery risk.
A focused starting point
Engineering Health Snapshot
When the symptoms span several areas, an initial snapshot can help frame the real problem before choosing a larger engagement. We can scope a focused review around your current priorities and the questions leadership needs answered.
Discuss a health snapshot✓
Technical direction
✓
Architecture
✓
Delivery practices
✓
Team health
Experience across the system
From the codebase to the organization around it.
My experience spans hands-on architecture, technical strategy, team building, and engineering leadership across fintech, healthcare, SaaS, and e-commerce—from early-stage startups to established companies.
More about my background- years in engineering
- 15+
- engineers mentored
- 50+
- products launched
- 20+
- teams led
- 20+
A simple way forward
Start with clarity. Add only the help the situation needs.
- 1
Bring the real problem
Share what is changing, where technology or delivery feels constrained, and which decision you need to make.
- 2
Choose the right level of help
We identify whether an initial snapshot, a focused consulting project, or ongoing fractional leadership fits the situation.
- 3
Turn direction into action
I work at the level the problem needs, from technical strategy and architecture to team systems and implementation guidance.
Practical thinking
Useful before we ever speak.
Engineering Leadership
Engineering Process Audit: How to Assess Your Team's Health
An engineering process audit is one of the highest-leverage things a leader can do. Here is a practical framework for running one, plus what good and bad actually look like.
Fractional CTO · March 28, 2026
When Does Your Startup Need a CTO?
Every founder faces this question eventually. Here's how to tell if you need a CTO now, should wait, or if a fractional engagement is the smarter first step.
Architecture · April 23, 2026
Technical Debt: A CTO's Guide to Measurement, Prioritization & Reduction
Every engineering organization has technical debt. The ones that thrive are the ones that know exactly how much they carry, where it lives, and which slice is actively costing them money.
Engineering Leadership · March 06, 2026
How to Scale Your Engineering Team from 10 to 100
Most engineering leaders hit a wall somewhere between 10 and 30 people. Here's what actually works — from team topology to management promotion to staying technical without burning out.
Let's find the right next step
Tell me what is getting in the way of your engineering team.
Share the situation, the decision in front of you, and what a better outcome would look like. We'll use that context to decide whether I'm the right person to help.
Request a consultation