Becoming a Freelance CTO in 2025: Complete Guide

The freelance CTO market is booming: +40% demand vs 2023. Average daily rate: €890/day. Here’s the complete guide to get started (even if you’re not a CTO yet).

Prerequisites: Are You Ready?

Technical Checklist (Minimum)

Mandatory Hard Skills:

• 8+ years dev experience (ideally 10+)
• 2+ mastered stacks (e.g., Next.js + Node.js, React + Python)
• Distributed architecture (APIs, microservices, scaling)
• Basic DevOps (CI/CD, Docker, AWS/GCP/Azure cloud)
• Security (OWASP Top 10, GDPR, basic pentesting)
• Database (SQL + NoSQL, optimization, migrations)

Bonus Hard Skills (premium pricing):

• AI/ML (ChatGPT integration, fine-tuning)
• Mobile (React Native, Flutter)
• Data engineering (ETL, data warehouse)
• Blockchain/Web3 (if niche)

Soft Skills Checklist (Critical)

Business Acumen:

• Understand P&L, burn rate, unit economics
• Translate tech into business ROI
• Challenge requests (say "no" when necessary)

Leadership:

• Manage 3+ devs (hire, onboard, 1-on-1)
• Handle team conflicts
• Mentor juniors

Communication:

• Pitch an architecture in 3min
• Write clear docs (no jargon)
• Present to board/investors

Autonomy:

• Manage your time (no manager)
• Prospect clients
• Handle admin (accounting, contracts)

Successful Profile Types

Profile A: Former Salaried CTO

Background:

• CTO for 3-5 years in a startup
• Hired team of 5-10 devs
• Managed fundraising (tech due diligence)

Advantages:

• ✅ Immediate credibility
• ✅ Potential client network

Pricing: €1000-1500/day

Profile B: Senior Lead Dev

Background:

• Lead dev for 5+ years
• Managed 3-5 devs
• Never officially CTO

Advantages:

• ✅ Strong technical skills
• ✅ Competitive pricing

Pricing: €600-900/day

Profile C: Senior Fullstack Dev

Background:

• 8+ years dev
• Little management
• Strong on technical side

Advantages:

• ✅ Can deliver quickly
• ✅ Budget-friendly for clients

Pricing: €400-700/day Evolution: Part-time CTO after 1-2 years

Positioning: Find Your Niche

Classic Mistake: "I Do Everything"

❌ Bad Positioning:

"Fullstack freelance CTO. I do frontend, backend, mobile, data, AI, blockchain..."

Problem:

• Not credible (too generic)
• Not memorable
• Direct competition with 10K freelancers

✅ Good Positioning: Specialization

3-Axis Framework:

1. INDUSTRY (who?)
   ├─ HealthTech
   ├─ FinTech
   ├─ EdTech
   ├─ E-commerce
   └─ SaaS B2B

2. EXPERTISE (what?)
   ├─ MVP 0→1
   ├─ Scaling 10→100
   ├─ Team building
   ├─ AI integration
   └─ Data architecture

3. MISSION (how?)
   ├─ CTO as a Service (2-4d/week)
   ├─ Tech audit (1-3d)
   ├─ Code review (1-2d)
   ├─ Tech advisory (1d/month)
   └─ Interim CTO (full-time 3-6 months)

Positioning Examples:

A. HealthTech MVP Specialist

"Freelance CTO specialized in HealthTech. I build GDPR-compliant health MVPs in 6 weeks."

Clients: Medtech startups, e-health, telemedicine Pricing: €800-1200/day

B. SaaS B2B Scaling Expert

"Freelance CTO for scale-ups. I help Series A/B go from 100K to 1M users without rebuild."

Clients: Post-Series A SaaS scale-ups Pricing: €1000-1500/day

C. CTO-as-a-Service for Startups

"Freelance CTO for non-tech founders. MVP + team building in 3 months."

Clients: Solo founders, pre-seed Pricing: €700-1000/day (2-3d/week)

My Positioning (Example)

Tagline:

"Freelance CTO for early-stage startups. 15-day MVP, AI integration, team building."

Niches:

1. SaaS B2B (50% clients)
2. Marketplaces (30%)
3. FinTech (20%)

Missions:

• CTO-as-a-Service: 2-4d/week, €890/day
• 15-day MVP: €13.5K flat fee
• Team AI training: €3K flat fee

Pricing: 2025 Daily Rate Grid

Daily Rate by Experience

Profile	Exp	Paris Rate	Regional Rate
Senior Dev	8-10 years	€400-600	€350-500
Lead Dev	10-12 years	€600-800	€500-700
Junior CTO	12-15 years	€700-900	€600-800
Confirmed CTO	15-20 years	€900-1200	€800-1000
Expert CTO	20+ years	€1200-1500	€1000-1300

Daily Rate by Mission Type

Mission	Duration	Daily Rate	Total Budget
Tech Audit	2-3d	€1000	€2-3K
Code Review	1d	€1200	€1.2K
MVP Build	15d	€900	€13.5K
Part-time CTO	2d/week × 6 months	€890	€43K
Interim CTO	Full-time 3 months	€800	€48K
Tech Advisory	1d/month × 12	€1000	€12K

Calculate Your Minimum Daily Rate

Formula:

Min daily rate = (Target annual salary + Taxes + Expenses) / Billable days

Example:
- Target salary: €80K/year (≈ salaried CTO)
- Social taxes (SASU): 45% → €36K
- Expenses (accounting, insurance, tools): €6K
- TOTAL: €122K

Billable days: 200d/year (220 working - 20 vacation)

Min daily rate = €122K / 200 = €610/day

Safety margin: +30% → Target daily rate: €800/day

Premium Pricing: Multiplier Factors

+20-30%:

• Urgency (start <2 weeks)
• Weekends/evenings
• Travel (outside Paris)

+30-50%:

• Rare expertise (AI, blockchain, quantum)
• Regulated industry (health, finance)
• Critical mission (fundraising, due diligence)

+50-100%:

• Big corp vs startup
• Project >€500K

Example:

• Base: €800/day
• HealthTech mission (regulation): +30% → €1040
• Urgency (fundraising deadline): +20% → €1250
• Final daily rate: €1250/day

Prospecting: Land Your First 3 Clients

Month 1 Strategy: Warm Outreach (Network)

Goal: 3 clients via existing network

Actions:

Week 1: LinkedIn Announcement

Post Template:

After 10 years as CTO (startup X, Y, Z), I'm going freelance 🚀

My offer:
→ CTO-as-a-Service for early-stage startups
→ 15-day MVP
→ Team building & mentoring

Need tech help?
DM or calendar in comments.

#FreelanceCTO #Startup #Tech

Expected Result: 50-100 likes, 5-10 DMs

Week 2: Contact Former Clients/Colleagues

List:

• Former employers
• Colleagues who started startups
• Previous project clients
• Entrepreneurs met at events

Message Template:

Hi [First Name],

I'm going freelance as CTO (after 10 years CTO/Lead Dev).

I help early startups with:
- Build MVP quickly
- Hire/manage tech team
- Scale architecture

Know any founders who might need help?
Thanks in advance 🙏

[Your First Name]
P.S.: My site [link]

Conversion Rate: 5-10% → 2-5 intros

Weeks 3-4: Networking Events

Target Events:

• Startup meetups (La Famille, Station F)
• Tech meetups (React Paris, Node.js)
• Business breakfasts (Morning Founders)

Elevator Pitch (30s):

"I'm a freelance CTO. I help non-tech founders build their MVP and hire their first dev team. My last client raised €2M 6 months after our collaboration."

Goal: 10 business cards → 2-3 meetings

Months 2-3 Strategy: Cold Outreach

Goal: 20-30 prospect pipeline

Channel 1: LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Setup:

• Filters: "Founder", "CEO", "Startup", "Paris", "0-50 employees"
• Exclude: Companies with CTO

Message Template:

Hello [First Name],

I saw [Startup] is hiring their first dev (LinkedIn post).

If you're debating FTE vs freelance, I help founders like you:
- 15-day MVP (vs 3 months if hiring)
- Then help hire team if needed

Available for 15min call?
[Calendly link]

[Your First Name]
Freelance CTO | Ex-CTO [Known Startup]

Response Rate: 10-20% → 3-6 calls/30 messages

Channel 2: Freelance Platforms

Platforms:

Platform	Client Type	Commission	Avg Daily Rate
Malt	SMEs + startups	10%	€600-900
Comet	Tech startups	10-15%	€700-1000
Crème de la Crème	Scale-ups	15%	€800-1200
Mindquest	Big corps	15-20%	€800-1500

Optimized Profile:

• Pro photo
• Headline: "Freelance CTO | MVP & Scaling"
• Portfolio: 3-5 key projects
• Recommendations: 5+ clients
• Availability: Up to date

Effort: 1h/week profile maintenance

Channel 3: Content Marketing (Long-term)

Blog + LinkedIn:

• 1 article/week (900-1500 words)
• Topics: CTO advice, tech stack, case studies
• Distribution: LinkedIn, Twitter, newsletter

ROI:

• Months 1-3: 0 clients (warm-up)
• Months 4-6: 1-2 clients/month (inbound)
• Months 6+: 50% clients inbound

Example: My blog generates 40% of my clients (3 years after launch)

Conversion: Close the Deal

Discovery Call (30min)

Structure:

1. Discovery (15min)

Questions:

• "Tell me about your project"
• "Where are you at? (idea / MVP / clients?)"
• "Why freelance CTO vs hiring?"
• "Budget and timeline?"
• "Who decides? (you alone or with co-founders?)"

2. Pitch (10min)

PAS Framework (Problem-Agitate-Solve):

Problem:

"You need an MVP quickly, but hiring a CTO takes 3 months and costs €80K/year."

Agitate:

"Meanwhile, a competitor could get 6 months ahead."

Solve:

"I can build your MVP in 15 days, and if it works, I help you hire a permanent CTO."

3. Close (5min)

Proposal:

• "Here's how we could work together..." (present offer)
• "Next step: I'll send detailed quote within 24h"
• "If OK, we start next Monday. Sound good?"

Common Objections:

Objection	Response
"It's expensive"	"Compared to hiring CTO (€80K/year + 3 months), I deliver MVP in 15d for €13.5K. Immediate ROI."
"Not sure about budget"	"Budget range? I can propose light version if needed."
"Need to think"	"No problem. Can I ask what's holding you back?" (uncover real objection)
"We'll call back"	"Great. Follow-up Friday? (set date)"

Conversion Rate: 30-50% (call → signed deal)

Commercial Proposal

Template:

# CTO-as-a-Service Proposal

## Context
[Startup] develops [solution] for [target].
Need: Functional MVP in 6 weeks + hire dev #1.

## Mission Scope

### Phase 1: MVP (4 weeks, 16 days)
- Technical architecture
- Development of priority features:
  * Authentication
  * User dashboard
  * Stripe payment
  * Admin panel
- Production deployment (Vercel + Supabase)
- Technical documentation

**Deliverable:** Deployed MVP, documented code

### Phase 2: Hiring (2 weeks, 4 days)
- Job description writing
- Candidate sourcing (20-30 profiles)
- Screening + technical interviews
- Dev #1 onboarding

**Deliverable:** Dev #1 hired and onboarded

## Pricing

| Item | Days | Daily Rate | Total |
|------|------|------------|-------|
| Phase 1: MVP | 16 | €890 | €14.2K |
| Phase 2: Hiring | 4 | €890 | €3.6K |
| **TOTAL EXCL. VAT** | **20** | | **€17.8K** |
| **VAT 20%** | | | **€3.6K** |
| **TOTAL INCL. VAT** | | | **€21.4K** |

## Billing
- 30% deposit: €6.4K (at start)
- 70% balance: €15K (at delivery)

## Timeline
- Start: J+7 after signature
- MVP delivery: Week 5
- Hiring: Week 7

## Guarantees
- Code ownership: 100% yours
- 30-day post-delivery support: included
- Availability: 2d/week

Signature: ______________________

Legal Status: Which One to Choose?

Status Comparison

Criteria	Micro-Enterprise	EURL/SASU	Portage Salarial
Max Revenue	€77K excl. VAT/year	Unlimited	Unlimited
Taxes	22% revenue	45% salary	50-55% revenue
Accounting	Receipts book	Accountant (1-2K€/year)	Managed
VAT	Exemption <€37K	Yes (recoverable)	Yes
Unemployment	No	Yes (if SASU)	Yes
Retirement	Low	Standard	Standard
Ideal For	Test 1-2 years	Long-term	Start (security)

Recommendation by Profile

Profile A: Testing (0-6 months)

Status: Portage salarial

• ✅ Zero admin (managed accounting)
• ✅ Unemployment maintained
• ❌ 10% commission (€500-1000/month)

Platforms:

• ITG (www.itg.fr)
• Cegelem (www.cegelem.fr)
• Jump (www.jump.eu.com)

Profile B: Early (6 months - 2 years)

Status: Micro-Enterprise

• ✅ Simple (quarterly declaration)
• ✅ Low taxes (22%)
• ❌ Limited revenue (€77K)

Setup: 1h on autoentrepreneur.urssaf.fr

Profile C: Scaling (2+ years)

Status: SASU

• ✅ Unlimited revenue
• ✅ Credibility (vs micro-enterprise)
• ✅ Tax optimization (15-25% corporate tax)
• ❌ Mandatory accounting (1.5-2K€/year)

Setup: €500 via Legalstart, Shine, Qonto

Launch Budget: First 3 Months

Item	Cost
Company Creation
SASU (Legalstart)	€500
Pro account (Shine)	€100
Tools
Website (Webflow)	€200
LinkedIn Premium	€60/month × 3
Malt/Comet (no fees)	€0
Marketing
Business cards	€50
Pro photos	€200
Accounting/Insurance
Accountant (3 months)	€300
Pro liability	€100
Health insurance	€150/month × 3
Training
Business dev (optional)	€500
TOTAL	€2.6K

Realistic Budget: €3-5K to launch

Conclusion

Realistic Timeline:

• Month 1: Setup (company, site, profiles)
• Month 2: Network prospecting → 1st client
• Month 3: 2-3 clients → €5-10K/month revenue
• Month 6: Stable pipeline → €15-20K/month revenue

Average Freelance CTO Numbers:

• Daily rate: €890/day
• Billed days: 15d/month (75% time)
• Monthly revenue: €13.5K excl. VAT
• Annual revenue: €160K excl. VAT
• Net after taxes: €90-100K/year

That's 50% more than a salaried CTO (€60K net/year)

Free Discovery Call: Hesitating to start? Let's discuss in 30 min.

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About: Jérémy Marquer, freelance CTO for 3 years. Revenue: €180K/year. I coach 10+ CTOs in career transition.