Meet your CTO

Infra: Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, CI/CD

Clouds: AWS, GCE, DigitalOcean

Languages: Python, JavaScript/TS, PHP, Golang, C++, SQL

Frameworks: Django, FastAPI, Express, Laravel

Front-end: React/ReactNative/Next, Vue/Nuxt, Electron

Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB, Nebula

Data & Messaging: RabbitMQ, Kafka, Spark, Hadoop, Airflow, Superset, Grafana

About me

Hi, I’m Max Sharlaev.

I’ve been working in IT for over 20 years, with an M.S. in Computer Science and a focus on scalable systems, distributed architecture, and applied AI.

I’ve gone the full path — from writing backend code and deploying early web apps to leading teams and managing technical strategy. I’ve helped launch startups, join projects mid-crisis, fix failing systems, build new teams, and get products back on track.

Beyond the tech side, I’m currently earning a second degree in Psychology — to deepen my understanding of team dynamics, leadership, and decision-making under uncertainty. Because while systems fail in predictable ways, people don’t.

These days, I work as a fractional CTO and technical advisor for startups and growing companies.

I help products move forward — with less chaos, fewer surprises, and more technical confidence.

What I offer

1. Architecture review

Architecture isn’t just “how it works” — it’s how your product survives, grows, and stays sane under pressure.

If you have an idea but no architecture yet — we’ll shape one together. I’ll help you choose the stack, estimate the expected load, factor in geography and user flows, and turn your idea into a clear, developer-ready system plan.

If your product is already live — we’ll dig into the pain points: bottlenecks, fragile spots, scalability gaps, and delivery risks. I’ll give grounded recommendations — no overengineering, just stability that fits your goals.

You’ll get a tailored architectural plan your team can build on — practical, focused, and ready for real work.

2. Project costs

A good product doesn’t just cost money to build — it costs money to run, scale, maintain, and recover when things break. I’ll help you build a financial model that reflects reality, not wishful thinking.

That means looking beyond one-time costs and asking the harder questions: What happens when your team grows? What if traffic spikes? What does it take to keep your product healthy six months after launch? I help you estimate not just development, but long-term sustainability — infrastructure, people, and risk buffers included.

We’ll look at three key areas:

A. Development

What kind of team do you need? What tools, services, and licenses are involved? How long will it take to build? I’ll break this down into clear phases — from MVP to production-ready.

B. Operations

What happens after launch: hosting, storage, bandwidth, monitoring, support, DevOps, and customer care. We’ll cover not just current costs but future risks and buffers.

C. Scenarios & Buffers

You’ll get three modeled approaches:

  • Base case — realistic, not over-optimistic.
  • Lean case — minimum viable cost.
  • Growth case — scaled infrastructure and team, higher demand, bigger burn.
  • What you get:

    A clear financial breakdown — by phase and by cost type (CapEx / OpEx) — plus Total Cost of Ownership estimates and scalable options.

    What’s not included:

    Marketing budget. But I’ll help you find the right experts and ask them the right questions, so you get numbers — not fluff.

    3. Team Review & Hiring

    Your product is only as strong as the team behind it. I help you make sure it’s not a liability — but a core asset that delivers.

    Hiring the wrong person costs money. Hiring the wrong structure costs the whole product. Whether you’re just forming a team or stuck with a burning backlog, I help you build the right roles, rhythms, and processes from the ground up — or fix what’s already broken.

    Most issues in teams don’t come from weak developers — they come from misaligned responsibilities, poor process flow, or lack of technical leadership. I identify these gaps, audit current performance, and help you understand where your team’s friction points are — before they turn into delays and cost overruns.

    I can also support your hiring process: helping define roles, reviewing candidate profiles, running technical interviews, and advising on team dynamics. It’s not just about filling seats — it’s about building a structure that lasts.

    What you get: a lean, human-friendly, delivery-focused team setup. Whether built from scratch or course-corrected — you’ll have clarity, structure, and a plan to move forward with confidence.

    4. Outsourcer Supervision

    Hiring an external team can save you money — until it starts costing you everything else.

    Outsourcing vendors are incentivized to “deliver the project.” That doesn’t mean they’re incentivized to deliver clarity, maintainability, or long-term value. That’s where I come in.

    What I do:

    I act as your representative

    Ensuring that specs are clear, deadlines are realistic, and the team knows you’re watching

    I define acceptance criteria and deliverable formats

    So you get outcomes, not excuses. Clear scope, clear ownership, and no ambiguity at handoff.

    I set up independent quality checks

    From code review and architecture sanity to usability and performance testing

    I track communication and project rhythm

    Catching early signs of drift, blockers, or silent scope creep before they snowball.

    I audit maintainability and ops-readiness

    So you know how much pain to expect after launch. From deployment friction to monitoring gaps, I highlight what needs fixing before it breaks.

    I make sure long-term risk is on the table

    Cost of ownership, technical debt, feature alignment with product vision, vendor lock-in. Outsourcers may sweep issues under the rug. I lift the rug

    What you get: clear oversight, clean delivery, and a system that won’t fall apart the moment the contract ends.

    How I work

    1. Intro call or written brief

    We start with a call — or a text-based conversation, if that’s more convenient for you.

    You tell me about your project, goals, and current challenges.

    I ask clarifying questions about your team, process, and technical setup, and offer initial thoughts on how I can help.

    If you’re looking for a one-time consultation, I’ll estimate how many hours it will take and give you a clear price based on my hourly rate.

    If you’re interested in ongoing support, we’ll define the format of my involvement — how many hours per month, what role I’ll take, and what outcomes we’ll focus on.

    2. Deep dive & solution proposal

    I explore your problem space and prepare a structured response — with actionable steps, risks, trade-offs, and solution targets.

    If needed, I bring in trusted specialists to help assess parts of the project — always under NDA and without passing you the homework.

    You get a clear report or presentation, and we go over it together on a follow-up call.
    I answer questions and prepare the final version of the deliverables based on your feedback.

    If you’re looking for a one-time consultation, I’ll estimate how many hours it will take and give you a clear price based on my hourly rate.

    If we’re moving forward with collaboration, we align on format, deliverables, responsibilities, and documentation.

    3. Delivery & ongoing support

    You receive the solution and support with implementation.

    If we’re working long-term, I stay plugged into your project — providing architecture guidance, team support, code review, vendor coordination, or crisis response, depending on your needs.

    Contact Me now

    E-Mail: hello@cto4biz.com
    Telegram: @maxsharlaev
    LinkedIn: Max Sharlaev