4.9/5
· Google, Clutch & Glassdoor
Sam Halcrow, Fractional CTO · Sydney
Start your free audit
Fill in your details and I’ll be in touch to book your 30-minute call.
What I do
01
Idea
I have an idea
You want to know what it will cost and whether to build custom software or buy something that already exists.
Typical need
Scope and cost
02
Mid-build
We’re building
Your build is late, over budget or stuck at “nearly done”, and you want someone independent to tell you why.
Typical need
Getting back on track
What you get
01
Area
Keep
Stop
Start
Written recommendations
What to keep, stop and start across your plan, budget, build and team. It’s written so anyone can follow it, and you can give it to any developer.
02
✓
Is the plan clear enough to quote?
✓
Is the quote hiding anything?
✓
Who owns the hosting and the code?
✓
Can your developers finish it?
A cost range and timeline
A realistic cost and timeline for what you want to do, so you can check it against the quotes you already have.
03
30 min with Sam Halcrow
Video call · tell me where you’re at
Pick a time
A 30-minute call to start
Tell me where your project is up to, and I’ll ask a few questions to work out what to look at. If it’s not something my team can help with, I’ll tell you.
The audit process
STEP 1
You tell me what you’re trying to do and show me what you have so far. I’ll ask the questions a CTO would ask, and give you a rough idea of cost and effort on the call.
✓
We sort out access and an NDA on the call
✓
You’ll know straight away whether I can help
Sam Halcrow
You
30:00 · Google Meet
STEP 2
We look at four areas and write up what to keep, stop and start over the next 90 days, with a cost range and timeline.
✓
Written up, so you can share it with anyone
✓
Specific to your project, not a template
✓
Plan and strategy
What you’re building and why, what the first version needs to do, and whether to build at all.
✓
Money
Your quotes and budget, plus a realistic cost range and timeline.
✓
The build
The code, hosting and security, and who owns the accounts.
✓
People and accountability
Your developers and team, and who is responsible for the result.
Total value
$4,000
STEP 3
On a second call, I take you through your roadmap, answer your questions and we agree on what happens next. You can work with me, take the roadmap to another developer, or hold off for now.
✓
No obligation to work with me after
✓
You decide what happens next, with the full picture
✓
I leave the recommendations with you, or I stay on and we achieve great things together
Why get an audit from me
Fractional CTO · Founder, Halcrow · Sydney
✓
16 years leading software projects, 1M+ engineering hours
✓
253 companies, 5/5 average client review
✓
Technical leader for founders and owners who have never seen code
✓
Says no when no is the right answer, even when it costs a project
Hi, I’m Sam. I’ve spent 16 years leading technology for businesses, and I’m often brought in after a project has already gone off track.
Most of my clients are founders and owners who are very good at their business and have no interest in becoming software experts to get some built. Some come to me with quotes that are 4x apart. Others have a build that’s been “nearly done” for months, or live software that costs more to run every quarter.
That usually happens because there was no one technical on their side when the early decisions were made, so the only advice they had was from the company selling the software.
As a fractional CTO, I make those decisions with you early and explain them in a way that makes sense. I’ll also tell you when something isn’t worth building, even if that means we don’t work together. I've done this for 253 companies, and I don't take more than a dozen clients at a time so I can be on every one.
The audit is the first step, before you sign anything. I review your plan myself, and my engineers look at the code.
You don’t need to learn how software is built. You need someone on your side who already knows.
Frequently asked questions
Is the audit really free?
Is this a sales pitch?
I only have an idea. Is it too early?
We’re mid-build with another developer. Can you still look?
What happens after the audit?
Fractional CTO and engineering team for founders and business leaders. Sydney, Australia.
© 2026 Halcrow · Privacy policy