Senior product leadership. Without the full-time hire.
One of the NotTooMuch founders joins your leadership conversations, owns design and product direction, and advocates for the user — so you can focus on vision, growth, and the things only you can do.
This is different from design execution.
Most founders who come to us need someone to do design. That's the Design Partner Retainer.
Some founders need someone to think alongside them at a strategic level — someone who owns the product point of view, pushes back on bad roadmap decisions, and tells a compelling product story to investors. That's the Fractional CPO.
It's a leadership role, not an execution role.
Who it's for
Technical founders building complex products
You built the engineering. Product and design decisions are taking too much of your time and you're not confident they're the right ones. You need a senior co-thinker with a different lens.
Founders preparing for Series A
Investors want to understand your product direction, not just the features. You need someone who can own and articulate that narrative: the "why this product, for these users, in this direction."
Companies building their first in-house design team
You're moving from outsourced design to in-house. You need someone to define the role, set the standards, evaluate candidates, and establish the design culture before handing it over.
What this looks like
- 2–3 leadership touchpoints per month: calls with the CEO, CPO, or founding team
- Product roadmap review: priority and sequencing input
- Design direction ownership — we set the vision and own design decisions
- Investor-ready product narrative
- Hiring support: role definition, candidate review, design standards for new hires
- Optional: representation in board meetings or investor conversations
What this isn't
This is not design execution. We're not producing screens in this engagement. Think of it as having a Head of Design at the leadership table, without the salary and the headcount.
Most clients combine both services: Fractional CPO for strategic direction and Design Partner for execution.
Pricing
As an add-on to Design Partner
$5k/mo
Standalone engagement
$12k/mo
3-month minimum.
Need a product thinking partner, not just a pair of hands?
Tell us where you are and what decisions are slowing you down.
Get in touch