Fractional CTO for startups — MVP development & technical leadership

I help founders go from idea to investor-ready MVP with hands-on engineering, architecture, and go-to-market technical strategy. Full-stack, cloud-native, and AI-enabled solutions.

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20+ years running a web consultancy

Full-stack · Cloud · AI

Available for fractional CTO roles

Sample MVP

MyFavoriteBands.com - a music-driven social network with Next.js + Python + MongoDB for personalization. Deployed on AWS with CI/CD and monitored in production.

Quick facts

Stack: Next.js, Python, MongoDB

Time: 12 weeks

Role: Founder + Lead Eng

Outcome: MVP + seed-ready demo

Services

AI-Accelerated Roadmap

1–2 weeks · $2k–$4k

Use AI to draft technical architecture and roadmap faster
Rapid feature brainstorming with lightweight prototypes
Prioritized 60-day action plan
Low-commitment way to validate feasibility before larger builds

MVP Roadmap Sprint

2–4 weeks · $5k–$10k

Discovery & product alignment
Architecture & stack selection
Clickable prototype and 90-day roadmap

MVP Build Package

8–16 weeks · $20k–$50k

Full-stack implementation (example: Next.js, Python, AWS)
AI & automation integrations (optional)
Biweekly demos & production deployment

Fractional CTO Retainer

$3k–$8k / month

Weekly strategy calls & backlog prioritization
Architecture reviews & hiring support
Investor-facing technical guidance

Selected Projects

Music Social Network (MVP)

Next.js, Python, MongoDB — personalization & AI-based recommendations.

Generative AI App Suite

Image captioning, voice translation, and AI career coach. Deployed in Docker/Cloud.

E-commerce Optimization

Performance improvements and conversion lift for content & commerce platforms.

About David Ugale

I’m David Ugale — a Senior Full Stack Engineer, Fractional CTO, and founder of Daya Web, Inc. For over two decades, I’ve helped startups and established companies build scalable, cloud-native, and AI-powered applications. From architecting MVPs that attract investors to leading product roadmaps, my focus is on bringing ideas to market quickly and effectively.

Outside of technology, I’m also an avid runner — I’ve completed 4 marathons in the last few years, bringing the same discipline and perseverance from running into my professional work.

Professional Experience

As founder and President of Daya Web, Inc., I’ve delivered full-stack applications for e-commerce, finance, and content platforms. My toolkit includes React, Next.js, FastAPI, Django, and AWS — blending modern frontends with robust backends and scalable infrastructure.

I’ve also led projects like My Favorite Bands, a music-driven social network, and built a Generative AI App Suite including image captioning, multilingual voice translation, and an AI career coach. Earlier in my career, I worked at Sony Pictures Imageworks and iPowerWeb developing automation and large-scale hosting platforms.

Technical Skills

Next.js

React

Python

FastAPI

Django

Node.js

TypeScript

AWS

Docker

MongoDB

PostgreSQL

Generative AI

LangChain

Education & Certifications

UCLA, Bachelor’s Degree, cum laude.

Certifications include AWS Cloud Solutions Architect, Meta Back-End Developer, and IBM courses on Machine Learning and Generative AI.

Let's talk

Available for fractional CTO roles and MVP engagements. Typical engagements start at $5k.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Fractional CTO provides high-level technical leadership without the cost of a full-time executive. I help startups with architecture, hiring, and product strategy while guiding development execution.

I focus on MVPs and early-stage startup products — from idea validation and roadmap planning to full-stack implementation using Next.js, Python, and cloud services like AWS.

AI helps automate repetitive coding, architecture drafting, and documentation. My AI-Accelerated Roadmap service uses tools like ChatGPT and LangChain to turn ideas into prototypes and architecture plans quickly.

Most MVP builds range from $20k–$50k depending on complexity, features, and integrations. Smaller AI-accelerated roadmap projects start around $2k for rapid validation.

Yes — I often serve as a technical advisor or fractional CTO, collaborating with in-house or offshore developers to ensure quality, scalability, and strategic alignment.