Start
For your first important choices.
- first developer
- first MVP
- first agency quote
Avoid expensive mistakes, move faster · 22+ years of product & tech experience
Ask me before you sign that quote.
Development is taking too long. Costs are rising. You’re unsure about a choice. Or your startup simply feels stuck. Let’s figure out what is really going on.
Free introduction · 30 minutes · no sales pitch
A good moment to talk:
- before you sign that software quote
- before you hire a developer
- before hosting becomes more expensive than it needs to be
- before adding AI because everyone else is doing it
- before hiring a CTO
- before your product slips another six months
When founders reach out
The moments where one conversation can save time, money or focus.
- 01 Before you sign that quote.
- 02 Before you hire a developer.
- 03 Before you choose an agency.
- 04 Before you build an app.
- 05 Before you commit to a hosting setup.
- 06 Before you add AI because everyone says you should.
Problems founders typically bring to me
Tell me what you’re struggling with.
You don’t need it neatly framed to start. Most founders arrive with a problem, a worry, runway going out too fast or a quote that doesn’t sit right. That’s exactly the moment to talk.
- Product development is taking too long.
- AWS costs keep increasing.
- Hosting must stay inside Europe.
- An agency quote feels too expensive.
- Unsure whether to hire a developer.
- Unsure whether AI belongs in the product.
- You need senior technical guidance.
- Infrastructure is becoming too complex.
- The funding runway is shrinking.
- Product scope keeps expanding.
These are exactly the kinds of challenges I help founders work through.
Outcomes
Real startup challenges I’ve helped founders solve.
Anonymised, but every one is a real situation. The point is not the conversation, it is what changed afterwards.
-
Challenge
Development was estimated at nine months.
What we did
A smaller first version was scoped and launched in weeks instead of months.
Result
The founder learned what customers actually wanted before investing further.
-
Challenge
AWS costs kept growing.
What we did
The infrastructure was simplified to match real usage.
Result
Costs and complexity dropped, and the team spent more time building product.
-
Challenge
The team wanted Kubernetes.
What we did
A simpler setup solved the actual problem.
Result
Less maintenance, lower cost and faster deployment.
-
Challenge
The roadmap kept expanding.
What we did
The product was reduced to the few things that mattered.
Result
Launch happened sooner, and customer feedback arrived sooner.
-
Challenge
The founder wanted to hire developers.
What we did
We found the real bottleneck, which turned out not to be development.
Result
Expensive hires were avoided and the business moved forward without increasing payroll.
-
Challenge
AI looked exciting.
What we did
The AI idea was challenged before any implementation.
Result
Unnecessary development was avoided and the team focused on what users needed.
-
Challenge
A software agency quote looked reasonable.
What we did
Hidden assumptions, missing ownership clauses and unnecessary scope were identified before signing.
Result
Expensive surprises later were avoided.
30 minutes
What happens in 30 minutes?
- 01
You bring what’s going on.
A quote, a hire, a roadmap, an MVP scope, rising costs, an architecture question, an AI doubt, or runway leaving too fast.
- 02
We sharpen the problem.
We look at context, risk, priority, timing and alternatives.
- 03
You leave with a workable next step.
No report. No long analysis. Just clarity on what makes sense now.
Outcomes
What founders usually gain.
- A smaller MVP that launches sooner
- Lower hosting costs
- Less technical complexity
- Reduced vendor risk
- No unnecessary AI projects
- Fewer hiring mistakes
- Faster product delivery
- Better prioritisation
Plans
Choose how close you want experienced judgment to be.
No hourly billing. Three monthly rhythms for founders who want overview before they commit time, money or people.
Grow
For founders actively building.
- releases
- technical choices
- vendors
- growing teams
Partner
For founders steering multiple complex tracks at once.
- vendors
- compliance
- security
- strategic choices
Common questions
What founders usually ask first.
Short answers to the questions that come up before a first call. Anything missing? Just send the question, that is often a good first conversation.
- What does Ronald do exactly?
- Ronald is an independent startup advisor who helps founders work through hard problems and make sharper choices before they commit time, money or people. He combines technical knowledge across product, architecture, security, hosting and AI with pattern recognition from 22 years of building. He does not deliver development work and does not take over roles, only independent judgment.
- When should I get in touch?
- The best moment is just before something that will be hard to reverse later: signing a quote, hiring a developer, locking in MVP scope, choosing your infrastructure, building in AI or going live. The sharper the question on the table, the faster the conversation produces value.
- Do you work as a fractional CTO?
- No. A fractional CTO takes on responsibilities and execution. Ronald provides independent judgment, helps set direction and stays outside execution. That keeps the advice free of build-side bias, so you can accept or ignore it with no impact on delivery.
- Do you build software for clients?
- No. No development work, no project management, no full-time CTO responsibilities. That keeps the advice independent, there is no stake in which choice you make. For implementation, Ronald refers you to build partners that fit your stage and scope.
- What does the introduction call cost?
- The first 30-minute call is free, with no obligation to continue. After that you choose a monthly plan (Start €399, Grow €899, Partner €1,799) or a one-off hourly consultation. All prices exclude VAT.
Tell me what you’re struggling with.
Development is taking too long. Costs are rising. You’re unsure about a choice. Or your startup simply feels stuck. Let’s figure out what is really going on.