Your Technical Architecture ExpertWithout the Full-Time Hire
You're great at running your business. I'm great at solving technical architecture problems. Let's work together to make sure your systems scale without breaking the bank.
Ever find yourself in situations like these?
Your ERP doesn't talk to your warehouse system and nobody can explain how to fix it
You need a technology roadmap but don't have an architect to build it
A vendor gave you a technical proposal and you need someone to tell you if it's actually good
That's exactly where I come in.
Here's How I Can Help
Pick the scenario that sounds most like what you're dealing with right now.
Integration Architecture & Design
Your systems don't talk to each other and you need someone to design the architecture to fix it.
What we'll do together:
I'll design how your ERP, warehouse system, billing software, and everything else should connect. We'll figure out if you need APIs, middleware, or custom integrations—and I'll create the technical architecture to make it all work together.
What you'll get:
You'll have a clear integration architecture plan, know exactly what needs to be built, and understand how all your systems will communicate.
Real questions I help answer:
How do we connect our ERP to our warehouse? Should we build APIs or use middleware? What's the right integration architecture for our scale? How do we migrate from file-based to API integration?
Vendor & Technology Evaluation
You're looking at expensive software or technical proposals and need an architect to tell you if they're actually good.
What we'll do together:
I'll review vendor proposals, evaluate their technical architecture, assess their APIs and integrations, and tell you if the solution will actually work for your needs. I'll translate the technical jargon and help you understand what you're really getting.
What you'll get:
You'll know if that vendor's proposal is solid, if their API will actually integrate with your systems, and whether you're overpaying for features you don't need.
Real questions I help answer:
Is this vendor's technical architecture sound? Will their API actually work with our systems? Are we being oversold on features? What are the integration risks with this solution?
Technology Roadmap Development
You need a multi-year technology plan but don't have an architect to build it.
What we'll do together:
I'll work with you to build a technology roadmap aligned with your business goals. We'll prioritize what needs to happen when, plan for scalability, identify integration needs, and create a realistic timeline for your technical evolution.
What you'll get:
You'll have a clear 1-3 year technology roadmap that shows what to build, what to buy, when to invest, and how everything fits together.
Real questions I help answer:
What should our technology priorities be for the next 2 years? How do we prepare our systems for 3x growth? When should we tackle each integration project? What order should we modernize our systems?
Technical Strategy & Board Communication
You need to explain technical decisions to your board or executives and want an architect who can translate it.
What we'll do together:
I'll help you prepare for board meetings on technical topics, create executive-friendly explanations of complex architecture, and provide the technical backup when you need to justify technology investments or decisions.
What you'll get:
You'll confidently answer technical questions from your board, explain architecture decisions in business terms, and have expert support for technology investment requests.
Real questions I help answer:
How do I explain our integration strategy to the board? What should I tell investors about our technical scalability? How do I justify this technology investment? Can you help prepare the technical section of our board deck?
Not sure which one fits? That's totally normal.
Let's talk and figure it out togetherReal Talk: Is This Right For You?
This works great if:
- • You need strategic architecture guidance, not daily management
- • You're making decisions that could cost $100K+ if wrong
- • Your team is capable but needs experienced direction
- • You can work within scheduled engagement windows
- • You value straight answers over consultant-speak
This probably won't work if:
- • You need someone in daily standups and every meeting
- • You want hands-on coding (I advise, not build)
- • You need 24/7 on-call availability
- • Your team is fewer than 5 people (you need builders first)
- • You're looking for a full-time CTO replacement
Still not sure? That's totally normal. Let's have a conversation and figure it out.
How Do You Want to Work Together?
Choose what makes the most sense for your situation right now.
No long-term contracts. No equity. Cancel anytime with 30 days notice. Start where you are, scale up when you need to.
Pick Your Level of Support
Start where you are, scale up when you need to
Part-Time Advisor
You need experienced architecture guidance but aren't ready for a full-time hire—get strategic direction without the overhead
- Monthly architecture review and planning sessions
- Technology stack evaluation and recommendations
- System design guidance as you build new features
- Code and architecture review for critical decisions
- Async support via email/Slack within 48 hours
Growth Partner
Your system is showing cracks as you scale—get regular guidance to architect for growth without rebuilding everything
- Everything in Part-Time Advisor, plus:
- Bi-weekly strategy sessions to stay ahead of issues
- Full architecture design for new systems and features
- Performance optimization and bottleneck identification
- Database architecture and data modeling guidance
- Technical debt assessment and prioritization
- Team mentoring and code review practices
- Async support within 24 hours
- Quarterly roadmap planning sessions
Strategic Partner
You need a trusted technical advisor who acts as your fractional VP of Engineering for architecture and strategic decisions
- Everything in Growth Partner, plus:
- Weekly strategic architecture sessions
- Enterprise architecture planning and governance
- Microservices and distributed systems design
- Cloud migration and infrastructure strategy
- Technical leadership and team capability building
- Executive-level technical communication and reporting
- Priority support within 12 hours
- Flexible availability for urgent architecture decisions
Still not sure which one makes sense for you?
Why Hire a Fractional Software Architect?
You get senior-level architecture expertise and strategic guidance without the full-time executive price tag or long-term commitment.
Avoid Costly Architecture Mistakes
That monolith that won't scale? The microservices refactor you didn't need? The database choice that locks you in? One prevented mistake pays for a year of guidance.
Start Getting Value This Week
Skip the 4-6 month search for a VP Engineering or Principal Architect. Get expert architecture guidance in days and start making better technical decisions immediately.
Battle-Tested Experience
Get access to 20+ years of software architecture across dozens of companies and tech stacks. The pattern recognition that comes from solving the same scaling problems many times.
Flexibility as You Scale
No long-term contracts or equity requirements. Need more help during a migration? Scale up. Systems are stable? Scale down. Not the right fit? Cancel anytime.
Fractional Architect vs. Full-Time Hire
Same senior-level architecture expertise, but 70-85% less expensive with zero equity dilution
| What matters | Fractional (Me) | Full-Time Hire |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $42K - $120K | $250K-400K (salary + benefits + equity) |
| Time to start | Less than a week | 4-6 months to hire and onboard |
| Commitment level | Month-to-month, cancel anytime | Multi-year commitment with equity |
| Experience breadth | Pattern recognition across many companies and industries | Deep company knowledge but limited outside perspective |
| ROI potential | Prevent $100K-500K in architecture mistakes | Same guidance at 3-5x the investment |
| Availability model | Scheduled sessions + async support - perfect for strategic decisions | 40 hours/week whether you need them or not |
Is this right for your company?
You have 20-500 employees and your systems are showing cracks as you scale. You need senior architecture expertise but aren't ready to commit $300K+ for a full-time VP of Engineering or Principal Architect. You're making technology decisions that could cost $100K-500K if you get them wrong. You need strategic guidance from someone who's solved these problems before—not another consultant trying to sell you a multi-month engagement.
I've Been Where Your Engineering Team Is
And I know what happens when architecture decisions go wrong.
I've been building software systems since 2010. Started as a developer, worked my way up to Associate Architect in 2021, and became a full Software Architect in 2023. My entire career has been spent in US Healthcare systems—one of the most complex, regulated, and high-stakes industries there is.
Here's what 15 years in healthcare technology taught me: architecture decisions have consequences that compound over time. That database choice you make today? You'll live with it for years. That microservices refactor your team is pushing for? It might solve one problem and create ten others. The technical debt you're ignoring? It's quietly killing your velocity.
I've seen teams struggle with the same patterns over and over: growing companies hitting scaling walls, engineering leaders making expensive mistakes because they didn't have experienced guidance, teams spending more time fighting their architecture than building features.
Here's what I believe:
Good architecture isn't about using the latest technology or following trends. It's about making strategic decisions that set your team up to move fast for years, not just months. It's about knowing when to optimize, when to refactor, and when to leave things alone.
The problem with growing companies is this: you need senior architecture expertise, but you're not quite ready to commit $300K+ for a full-time VP of Engineering or Principal Architect. You need someone who's solved these problems before—someone who can look at your systems and know what's going to break before it breaks.
That's where I come in. I work part-time with growing companies, bringing 20+ years of architecture experience without the full-time price tag or long-term commitment. We look at your actual situation—not some idealized textbook scenario—and figure out the right path forward for your business, your team, and your timeline.
D'Arc Whitman
Principle Architect
My Approach
I tell it straight. If rewrites are a bad idea, I'll tell you. If your team is right about something, I'll back them up. If I need to research something, I'll say so. No BS, no buzzwords, no selling you complexity you don't need.
What I Bring
20+ years of building and scaling systems in healthcare—where downtime means real consequences and architecture mistakes are measured in millions. I've architected systems handling millions of transactions, led teams through complex migrations, and de-escalated critical incidents.
Beyond Work
Husband, father of three, car enthusiast, and hobby farmer with chickens and ducks. The family wants goats and a mini cow next—we'll see how that goes. I get that work-life balance matters, which is why I respect yours too.
Look, I still work full-time as a Software Architect because I love the work and want to stay sharp,This means I'm selective about who I work with - I take on 2-3 clients at a time and focus on companies where strategic architecture guidance makes the biggest impact. I'm not trying to replace your team or become a full-time employee. I'm here to help you make better technical decisions without the overhead of a $300K+ executive hire. But I also know that most growing companies can't justify a full-time senior architect—and frankly, they don't need 40 hours a week of architecture guidance.
What you need is someone who's solved these problems before, who can look at your specific situation, and who can guide you to the right decisions without the full-time commitment.
No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a conversation about whether I can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about working with a fractional software architect
Have more questions about your specific situation?
Let's Talk About Your Architecture Challenges
No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a conversation about whether I can help.
Email Directly
Prefer email? Send your architecture questions or challenges directly and get a response within 24 hours.
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