Work with Sean
A CTO's judgment, without the executive hire
I'm a fractional CTO for owner-led businesses. If technology is how your company makes money but nobody at the table actually owns it — the vendors, the codebase, the "should we be using AI?" question — that's the seat I fill.
Sound familiar?
"I can't evaluate what my developers or agency tell me." You're signing off on estimates and invoices you have no way to judge. I've spent 20 years on the other side of those invoices.
"Everyone says AI changes everything. Nobody says what to do." I use AI agents daily on production systems. I'll tell you honestly what it can do for your business — and what's hype.
"Our platform grew by accident and now it runs the business." Legacy systems, tangled integrations, one developer who knows where the bodies are buried. I've untangled this many times.
Client voices
What owners say
CoolFrames couldn't run without Sean. For more than a decade, he's been the technical backbone of our platform. He can get deep into the implementation when needed, then step back and think like a CTO.
Dan Blessing
CEO, CoolFrames
Sean helped us build Peak's auction platform from the ground up. His oversight has been essential—without him, we wouldn't be where we are today.
Matt Davison
President, Peak Auto Auctions
We brought Sean in in 2022 to take over a PHP project and rebuild it from the ground up in Laravel. Since then, he's shown us why Laravel belongs in the enterprise—and how well it can hold its own against .NET.
Bryan Taylor
Founder, Anderson Taylor LLC
Sean helped us carry a complex Symfony insurance platform across the finish line—we couldn't have done it without him. He was also there at the beginning of PhishingBox, helping lay the foundation for what it is today.
Thomas Chase Gullett
CEO, PhishingBox
How we can work together
Published pricing because guessing games waste everyone's time. Every engagement starts with a conversation, not a checkout — email me and we'll figure out whether this is a fit.
Fixed scope
Platform & AI audit
$3,500–$5,000
A deep review of your codebase, infrastructure, vendors, and AI readiness. You get written findings in plain English and a prioritized roadmap — useful whether or not we ever work together again.
Start with an email →Most common
Fractional CTO retainer
from $3,500/month
Ongoing technical leadership on a flat monthly rate: technology roadmap, vendor and agency oversight, hiring help, AI strategy, and a direct line to someone who's accountable for the answers. No hourly meter running.
Start with an email →Leadership + delivery
Embedded engagement
$6,000–$8,000+/month
Everything in the retainer, plus hands-on delivery: I direct an AI-augmented development workflow that ships real improvements to your platform every month, at a predictable flat rate.
Start with an email →I keep the client roster small enough to know every codebase personally — currently taking on 2–3 new clients.
Why me
I've built full-stack web applications professionally since 2008 — e-commerce platforms, custom marketplaces, auction systems, and plenty of legacy rescues. I've been the developer, the lead, the agency, and the guy called in when all three failed. That range is exactly what a fractional CTO needs: I can talk to your board in the morning and read your codebase in the afternoon.
I'm based in Louisville, Kentucky, work with clients everywhere, and also teach this craft through Talbot Tech.
Start with a conversation
No forms, no sales funnel. Email me a couple of sentences about your business and what's frustrating you about technology, and I'll reply personally — usually within a business day.
sean@talbot.techPrefer the phone? Call or text +1 (502) 654-8469.