Fractional software engineer
A senior engineer on your team, without the full‑time hire
I join your team part-time, work in your codebase and your process, and own features from design to production.
Billed monthly at 75% of the low end of the role's posted salary.
What you get
For teams that need senior output but can't justify, or haven't been able to fill, a full‑time role.
A set weekly commitment
Typically 20 to 25 hours a week, with core hours that overlap your team's and the meetings that matter on the calendar.
A real member of the team
In standups, planning and code review like anyone else on the team, and reachable in your chat during core hours.
Features owned end to end
Design, build, test and ship. Hand me a problem, not a list of tickets, and I take it to production.
Your stack, your repo, your process
I've worked across the major languages and cloud platforms, so I fit into your tools and follow your conventions. Everything I write lives in your repo and goes through your review.
An engineer who thinks like a founder
As co‑founder and CTO of Catapult, I make the big engineering calls all the time: architecture, build versus buy, what to ship now and what can wait. You get that judgment with every feature I own. I spot the decision hiding inside a ticket and raise it early, instead of quietly coding around it.
Why fractional
A full‑time senior engineer costs far more than the salary once you add benefits, payroll tax, recruiting and equipment. Most teams don't need 40 hours of senior time every week. They need the right decisions made and the hard work done well. A fractional engagement pays for that and nothing more.
Lower cost
A flat monthly fee, well below the fully loaded cost of a full‑time hire.
Senior from day one
No ramp‑up from junior to senior judgment, and no recruiting cycle.
Flexible
Month to month after the first 3 months, with hours that scale up or down as your needs change.
Clear expectations
Agreed hours, availability windows and deliverables, up front.
Pricing
75% of the low end of the role's posted salary range, billed monthly. The minimum is $5,000 a month.
Your monthly fee
$9,375 a month
75% of $150,000 is $112,500 a year.
- No recruiter fee, and nothing on top for benefits, payroll tax, equipment or equity.
- Hours, core availability and first deliverables are agreed before we start.
- A 3-month first term, then month to month. Either side can end it with 30 days' notice.
- No posted range yet? We agree on a fair salary for the role on the first call.
How it works
Intro call
We talk through the role, your stack and where the team is stuck.
Scope
We agree on weekly hours, core availability, meetings and the first deliverables.
Start
I get access to your tools and start working with the team in the first week.
Monthly check‑in
We review progress and adjust hours or focus as needed.
Who you would be working with
Cooper Tingey · Senior software engineer
I've been a professional software engineer for five years, and I'm the co‑founder and CTO of Catapult. The big engineering decisions there are mine: the architecture, the tradeoffs, what we build and what we buy, and keeping it all running in production. I've worked inside engineering teams and I've run engineering for a company, and I bring both to yours.
I communicate clearly and often, so you always know what I'm working on, what's blocked and what I'd recommend. And I genuinely enjoy joining a new team: learning how it works, what it cares about and where I can help most.
I live in Arizona with my family. When I'm not at a keyboard, I'm usually outdoors.
See my background on LinkedInLanguages and platforms
Languages
- TypeScript
- JavaScript
- Python
- Java
- C#
- Go
- Ruby
- PHP
- Swift
- Kotlin
- C++
- SQL
Cloud
- AWS
- Google Cloud
- Microsoft Azure
- Vercel
Frameworks and data
- React
- Node.js
- PostgreSQL
- Supabase
Current clients
Questions
What is a fractional software engineer?
A senior engineer on your team part-time, for a set number of hours each week. You get senior output and judgment without adding full-time headcount.
How is this different from a contractor or an agency?
An agency gives you whoever is on its bench, and a typical contractor works through tickets on their own. I join your team the way an employee would, in standups and code review, owning features end to end. And because I make the big engineering calls as a startup CTO, I think about the product and the business, not just the ticket.
How does pricing work?
75% of the low end of the role's posted salary range, billed monthly, with a $5,000 monthly minimum. A role posted at $150,000 to $190,000 comes to $9,375 a month. No posted range yet? We agree on a fair salary for the role on the first call.
How long is the contract?
The first term is 3 months. That covers getting up to speed in your codebase and gives you time to see real output. After that it runs month to month, and either side can end it with 30 days' notice.
How many hours a week, and when are you available?
Typically 20 to 25 hours, agreed up front. I am in Arizona, on Mountain Time, and we set core hours that overlap with your team's, plus the meetings I attend. Hours can scale up or down as your needs change.
How is it billed?
One invoice a month from Mainstay Software, as a contractor. There is no payroll, benefits or employment paperwork on your side, and no recruiter fee.
Who owns the code?
You do. Everything I write goes into your repo and your accounts, the contract assigns the IP to you, and I am happy to sign your NDA.
What if our stack is not on your list?
Tell me what it is. I have worked across the major languages and clouds, and I will tell you honestly whether I am a good fit before we start.
How soon can we start?
We can usually talk within a few days of you getting in touch. Once we agree on scope, I start working with your team in the first week.
Tell me about the role
Send the job listing if you have one, or tell me what you are building and where you need help. I read every message myself and reply within one business day.