Fractional & Interim CTO · CTO as a Service · AI Agent Consultant
Michael K.
- $150/hour
- Prague Metropolitan Area
- Part-time (less than 40 hrs a week)
★★★★★ 5.0 (26 reviews)
I'm an interim CTO and CTO consultant for companies that build AI products. I bring 17+ years of hands-on software engineering, from full-stack apps and distributed backends to AI agents built with LangGraph and MCP. Companies hire me as a fractional CTO, an interim CTO or through CTO as a service, mostly for products built around AI.
What I help with as an interim CTO
- Tech strategy and architecture for new AI products
- Taking a product from MVP to a stable production system
- Building and leading small engineering teams
- Architecture and code reviews as a software architecture consultant
- Technical due diligence
- Advising founders as a CTO advisor when there is no tech leader yet
AI strategy and agentic systems
I help companies decide where AI agents make sense and then build them. Some clients use me as a fractional chief AI officer. My focus is agent orchestration, durable and stateful execution, tool use and MCP, structured outputs, human-in-the-loop workflows and Generative UI. I work with LangGraph, LangChain, Rivet, CopilotKit, AG-UI, TypeScript and Effect. I also use coding agents in my own work through Spec-driven Development, so teams ship faster without losing control over quality.
How we can work together
- Fractional CTO: a fixed part of my week as your CTO, for months or longer.
- Interim CTO: I lead your tech team for a few months, for example until you hire a full-time CTO.
- CTO as a service: a few days a month of tech leadership for a startup that does not need a full-time CTO yet.
- CTO consulting: a one-off project, such as an architecture review or an AI strategy for your product.
Background
Underneath the AI focus is a broad full-stack background: TypeScript/JavaScript, React, Next.js, React Native, Node.js, Bun, NestJS, APIs and enterprise integration, distributed systems, PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch, cloud infrastructure and CI/CD. I have delivered software for automotive, finance, IT, gaming, e-commerce, healthcare, travel and geospatial projects, for brands like Warner Bros Games, Lotus Cars, Zooplus, Johnson & Johnson and ŠKODA AUTO. I work remotely from Prague with international teams and prefer long-term B2B engagements.
Current areas of focus: Interim CTO • CTO as a Service • AI Strategy • AI Engineering • Agentic Systems • Agent Harness Engineering • Spec-driven Development • Generative UI • MCP • LangGraph • Effect • TypeScript • React / Next.js • NestJS • Distributed Systems • Product Engineering
Skills
- Software Architecture 12 yrs
- CTO / Technical Leadership 6 yrs
- AI Strategy 2 yrs
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) 3 yrs
- Agentic AI Development 2 yrs
- LangGraph 2 yrs
- LangChain 2 yrs
- Model Context Protocol (MCP) 1 yr
- Generative UI 1 yr
- Product Engineering 8 yrs
- TypeScript 9 yrs
- Node.js 8 yrs
- NestJS 5 yrs
- Next.js 5 yrs
- React 6 yrs
- Microservices 8 yrs
- Kubernetes 5 yrs
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) 6 yrs
- Product Management 3 yrs
- Java 9 yrs
- Software Engineering 17 yrs
- Web Services 12 yrs
- Cloud Computing 7 yrs
- Agile Methodologies 12 yrs
- Information Systems 12 yrs
- Software Development 17 yrs
- Web Applications 17 yrs
- Scrum 10 yrs
- Automotive 6 yrs
- Travel 2 yrs
- Scala 1 yr
- Linux 15 yrs
- SQL 15 yrs
- MongoDB 5 yrs
- Javascript 15 yrs
- REST 12 yrs
- AngularJS 3 yrs
- Git 12 yrs
- ElasticSearch 6 yrs
- NoSQL 8 yrs
- CSS 15 yrs
- HTML5 15 yrs
- Maven 6 yrs
- Spring Framework 6 yrs
- HTML 5 15 yrs
- Databases 15 yrs
- Webpack 6 yrs
- Angular 4 yrs
- D3.js 1 yr
- GraphQL 5 yrs
- Redux.js 5 yrs
- Blockchain 1 yr
- Prisma 3 yrs
- React Native 4 yrs
- Spring Boot 4 yrs
- PostgreSQL 8 yrs
- RDBMS 15 yrs
- Akka 1 yr
- Play Framework 1 yr
- FinTech 2 yrs
Skills
- Node.js
- NestJS
- Next.js
- Kubernetes
- Java
- Scala
- MongoDB
- Javascript
- Angular
- PostgreSQL
Node.js
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (2)
MVP Match
Senior Software Engineer & Technical LeadSenior engineering and technical lead role on client projects for Warner Bros Games (Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary), Zooplus, Lotus Cars, ...
Independent AI R&D
AI Engineer - Agentic SystemsR&D on AI-native app architecture: agent runtimes, Generative UI and MCP tools built with TypeScript, Node.js ...
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
NestJS
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (2)
MVP Match - Johnson & Johnson
Senior Software EngineerNestJS GraphQL backend for an internal Johnson & Johnson system.
Independent AI R&D
AI Engineer - Agentic SystemsR&D on AI-native app architecture: agent runtimes, Generative UI and MCP tools built with TypeScript, Node.js ...
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
Next.js
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (2)
MVP Match - Lotus Cars, Zooplus
Senior Software EngineerNew model site for Lotus Cars and a new white-label e-commerce solution for Zooplus.
Independent AI R&D
AI Engineer - Agentic SystemsR&D on AI-native app architecture: agent runtimes, Generative UI and MCP tools built with TypeScript, Node.js ...
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
Kubernetes
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (1)
ŠKODA AUTO
Software EngineerSKODA-CONNECT and Car Data Brokerage projects.
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
Java
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (7)
Česká spořitelna
Java DeveloperImplementation of banking systems (Spring Framework & JAX-WS, AngularJS, ElasticSearch).
Audatex Systems
Java & AngularJS DeveloperNext-generation AudaNext platform (Play Framework, Scala/Java, AngularJS).
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Javascript & Java DeveloperEnterprise Maps & Systinet (D3, TypeScript, Webpack, Maven).
Hönigsberg & Düvel Datentechnik
Java Web DeveloperDevelopment, analysis and design of web and mobile applications.
EmbedIT
Java DeveloperJava development for financial services systems.
Ap-Connect
Java DeveloperJava backend development.
PRESTO
JavaServer Faces DeveloperJSF applications for internal use.
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
Scala
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (1)
Audatex Systems
Java & AngularJS DeveloperNext-generation AudaNext platform (Play Framework, Scala/Java, AngularJS).
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
MongoDB
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (1)
MVP Match - Heycar
Senior Software EngineerHigh-quality used cars search engine.
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
Javascript
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (6)
MVP Match
Senior Software Engineer & Technical LeadSenior engineering and technical lead role on client projects for Warner Bros Games (Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary), Zooplus, Lotus Cars, ...
Konica Minolta
Team Leader & Angular/TypeScript DeveloperLed and developed the WorkplaceHub platform team.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Javascript & Java DeveloperEnterprise Maps & Systinet (D3, TypeScript, Webpack, Maven).
Audatex Systems
Java & AngularJS DeveloperNext-generation AudaNext platform (Play Framework, Scala/Java, AngularJS).
Česká spořitelna
Java DeveloperImplementation of banking systems (Spring Framework & JAX-WS, AngularJS, ElasticSearch).
Independent AI R&D
AI Engineer - Agentic SystemsR&D on AI-native app architecture: agent runtimes, Generative UI and MCP tools built with TypeScript, Node.js ...
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
Angular
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (1)
Konica Minolta
Team Leader & Angular/TypeScript DeveloperLed and developed the WorkplaceHub platform team.
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
PostgreSQL
Senior Developer
Projects & Positions (2)
MVP Match - Johnson & Johnson
Senior Software EngineerNestJS GraphQL backend for an internal Johnson & Johnson system.
Independent AI R&D
AI Engineer - Agentic SystemsR&D on AI-native app architecture: agent runtimes, Generative UI and MCP tools built with TypeScript, Node.js ...
Skill Depth
Overall Skills
Experience
Interim CTO / CTO Consultant
Independent PresentInterim CTO, CTO as a service and CTO consulting for startups and product teams building AI products: tech strategy, software architecture, AI agent strategy, technical due diligence and engineering team setup.
Independent AI R&D - Agentic Systems
Independent OngoingOngoing R&D on AI-native app architecture: agent runtimes, Generative UI, MCP tools and AI-supported software development. Used to test new patterns before using them in client work.
Senior Software Engineer & Technical Lead
MVP Match 5 yrs 8 mosSenior engineering and technical lead role on client projects:
- 2022 Warner Bros Games / NetherRealm Studios - Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary website
- 2022 Zooplus - new white-label e-commerce solution
- 2022 Lotus Cars - new model site
- 2021 Heycar - used cars search engine
- 2021 Johnson & Johnson - NestJS GraphQL backend for an internal system
Software Engineer
Whirr Crew s.r.o. 7 mosSoftware Engineer (BEKAST IT CONSULTING GMBH)
ŠKODA AUTO a.s. 3 yrs 2 mosProjects: SKODA-CONNECT & Car Data Brokerage
Team Leader & Angular/TypeScript Developer
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Czech, spol. s r.o. 10 mosLed and developed the WorkplaceHub platform team.
Javascript & Java Developer
Hewlett Packard Enterprise 10 mosEnterprise Maps & Systinet (D3, Typescript, Webpack, Maven)
Java Developer
EmbedIT 7 mosJava Developer
Česká spořitelna, a.s. 7 mosImplementation of banking systems (Spring Framework & JAX-WS, AngularJS, ElasticSearch)
Java & AngularJS Developer
Audatex Systems s.r.o. 11 mosImplementation of next-generation AudaNext Platform. (Play Framework, AngularJS)
Java Web Developer
Hönigsberg & Düvel Datentechnik Czech s.r.o. 2 yrs 7 mosDevelopment, analysis & design of web and mobile applications. Various technologies used.
Java Developer
Ap-Connect a.s. 4 mosCo-founder
Scalprs - The Forex Scalping Network 6 mosCo-founded a forex scalping network. Built the platform on Elgg and ran SEO and marketing.
Web Application Developer
ABOUT:BLANK s.r.o. 4 mosJavaServer Faces developer
PRESTO - PŘEKLADATELSKÉ CENTRUM s.r.o. 5 mosDevelopment of JSF applications for internal use.
Short-term internship
CEZ 1 moČEZNet (now ČEZ ICT Services) - mandatory work experience required by highschool curriculum.
Education and Certificates
Cosmopolitan Institute of Education, s.r.o.
MSc. Nov 2020 - Nov 2021College of information Management, Business Administration and Law
2012 - 2015Czech Technical University in Prague
2009 - 2011Private Secondary School of Information Technology (SSŠVT)
2004 - 2008Other developers
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