Why Fractional?

Why not just hire a full-time data architect?

You might not need one yet. Senior data architects cost €150-250K+ fully loaded. If you need architecture direction but don’t have 40 hours of architecture work per week, fractional makes more sense.

Fractional also gives you:

  • Faster start - No 3-6 month recruiting process
  • Lower risk - If priorities shift, you’re not stuck with a full-time hire
  • Cross-pollination - I bring patterns from other companies and industries
  • No management overhead - No performance reviews, career development, or team dynamics to manage

Many clients eventually hire full-time. Fractional bridges the gap until that makes sense - and I can help you hire when you’re ready.

When should we hire full-time instead?

Hire full-time when:

  • You have 40+ hours per week of architecture work
  • You need someone deeply embedded in company culture and politics
  • You’re building a large data org (10+ engineers) that needs full-time leadership
  • You’ve stabilized your architecture and need long-term stewardship

If you’re not sure, start fractional. You’ll learn what you actually need.

How is this different from hiring a consultant?

Traditional consultants often work in isolation, deliver a report, and leave. I work with your team, not around them.

The goal is building your team’s capability, not creating dependency on external expertise. I’ll help you hire, train, and structure your team so you can continue without me.

How It Works

How much time do you typically spend with clients?

Most fractional engagements are 1-3 days per week. Some clients need more during intense periods (migrations, major incidents, funding rounds), less during stable periods.

Advisory clients might be a few hours per month for specific decisions.

Do you write code or just advise?

Both. I’m hands-on when it helps - reviewing PRs, pairing on complex problems, building proof-of-concepts. But the primary value is architecture decisions, team guidance, and stakeholder alignment.

I’m not a staff augmentation resource. If you need more engineering hours, I’ll help you hire.

Can you work with our existing team?

That’s the whole point. I work alongside your data engineers, not instead of them. I’ll pair with them, review their work, help them level up, and gradually transfer knowledge so they can own the architecture.

What if we already have a data architect?

Then you might need advisory rather than fractional work. Or your architect might benefit from a senior sounding board - architecture can be lonely when you’re the only one thinking at that level.

How do you handle sensitive data and IP?

I sign NDAs and treat client information with the same confidentiality as an employee would. I don’t share specifics between clients, though I do bring patterns and approaches that work across contexts.

Getting Started

What does the first month look like?

Typically:

Week 1-2: Discovery and assessment. I learn your codebase, talk to your team, understand the pain points, and review your current architecture.

Week 3-4: Quick wins and roadmap. We address immediate issues while building a longer-term plan. You’ll see value fast, not after months of analysis.

By month end, we’ll have clarity on priorities and a working rhythm that fits your team.

Do we need to commit long-term?

No. Most engagements start with a focused piece of work - a platform review, an architecture sprint, or a specific problem. This builds context before either of us commits to ongoing work.

If ongoing fractional makes sense, great. If not, you’ve still gotten value from the initial engagement.

What if it’s not a good fit?

Then we stop. I’d rather end an engagement that isn’t working than drag it out. You’ll have learned something about what you need, and I’ll help you find the right resource even if it’s not me.

Pricing & Logistics

How much does this cost?

I work on a day-rate basis. Specific rates depend on:

  • Type of engagement (fractional, project, advisory)
  • Commitment level (more days = lower day rate)
  • Scope and complexity

We’ll discuss specifics after the discovery call when I understand what you need. If budget is a constraint, we can usually find an engagement structure that works.

Where are you based?

Belgium (Hamme). I work:

  • Belgium: Hybrid (on-site + remote)
  • Europe: Remote, with occasional travel
  • Global: Remote

Time zones matter for real-time collaboration. I can flex hours for US clients, but deep overlap works better than async-only.

How quickly can you start?

Usually within 1-2 weeks of agreeing to work together. I keep some buffer in my schedule for new engagements.

If you need someone tomorrow, I might not be the right fit - but I can often recommend alternatives.

Specific Situations

We’re a startup with limited budget. Can we still work together?

Possibly. Early-stage startups often benefit most from advisory rather than fractional - a few hours per month to sanity-check decisions and avoid expensive mistakes.

I also occasionally do smaller project-based work for startups I find interesting.

We’re preparing for due diligence / funding round. Can you help?

Yes. This is a common engagement pattern. I help you:

  • Document your architecture clearly
  • Address obvious red flags before investors see them
  • Prepare technical answers for due diligence questions
  • Build a credible data roadmap

We have a data emergency (outage, major incident, critical migration). Can you help fast?

Sometimes. If I have capacity and the problem is in my wheelhouse, I can often jump in quickly. Reach out and we’ll see what’s possible.

We’re a vendor. Can you help with technical content or pre-sales?

Yes - that’s what Thought Leadership and Technical Pre-Sales are for. I help data vendors create credible technical content and support sales conversations with independent practitioner perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not just hire a full-time data architect?
You might not need a full-time data architect yet, and hiring one prematurely can be expensive and inefficient. Senior data architects cost €150-250K+ fully loaded in total compensation. If you need architecture direction but don’t have 40 hours of architecture work every week, fractional makes more sense economically. Fractional gives you faster start (no 3-6 month recruiting process), lower risk (if priorities shift, you’re not stuck with a full-time hire), cross-pollination (patterns from other companies and industries), and no management overhead (no performance reviews, career development, or team dynamics to manage). Many companies eventually hire full-time after stabilizing their architecture. Fractional bridges the gap until that makes sense - and a good fractional architect can help you hire when you’re ready, having already defined what skills you actually need.
When should we hire a full-time data architect instead of fractional?
Hire a full-time data architect when you have consistent, ongoing architecture work that justifies dedicated headcount. Specific signals include: having 40+ hours per week of architecture decisions, reviews, and guidance work; needing someone deeply embedded in company culture and internal politics who understands unwritten rules; building a large data organization (10+ engineers) that needs full-time leadership, mentorship, and coordination; or having stabilized your architecture and needing long-term stewardship rather than transformation. If you’re uncertain which model fits, start fractional. You’ll quickly learn how much architecture work actually exists, what skills matter most for your context, and whether the cultural fit requirements justify a full-time hire. Starting fractional is lower risk and provides data for better hiring decisions later.
How is a fractional data architect different from a consultant?
Traditional consultants often work in isolation: they interview stakeholders, disappear into analysis, deliver a report or presentation, and leave. The recommendations may be excellent on paper but disconnected from your team’s ability to implement them. A fractional data architect works differently - embedded with your team rather than working around them. This means joining your standups and planning sessions, reviewing pull requests and architecture decisions as they happen, pairing with engineers on complex problems, and building relationships that enable honest feedback. The goal is building your team’s capability, not creating dependency on external expertise. A good fractional architect makes themselves gradually unnecessary by transferring knowledge and establishing patterns your team can own. Consultants optimize for deliverables; fractional architects optimize for outcomes.
How much time does a fractional data architect spend with clients?
Most fractional engagements run 1-3 days per week, though this varies based on phase and need. During intense periods like platform migrations, major incidents, or funding round preparation, clients often increase to 3-4 days per week for focused sprints. During stable periods when architecture is settled and the team is executing confidently, 1 day per week or less may suffice for reviews and guidance. Advisory clients - those needing input on specific decisions rather than ongoing architecture leadership - might work with an architect just a few hours per month. The right level depends on your current challenges, team maturity, and how much architecture work actually exists. Many engagements start heavier and taper as the team builds capability and confidence.
Does a fractional data architect write code or just advise?
Both, depending on what helps most. Fractional architects should be hands-on when it adds value: reviewing pull requests to catch issues and share patterns, pairing with engineers on complex problems to transfer knowledge while solving them, building proof-of-concepts to evaluate approaches before committing the team, and occasionally implementing critical path items when velocity matters. However, the primary value is architecture decisions (what to build and why), team guidance (helping engineers level up), and stakeholder alignment (translating between business and technical concerns). A fractional architect who only writes code is expensive staff augmentation. One who only advises risks becoming disconnected from implementation reality. The right balance shifts over time - more hands-on early, more advisory as the team matures.
How much does a fractional data architect cost?
Fractional data architects typically work on a day-rate basis, with rates varying based on several factors. Type of engagement matters: fractional (ongoing embedded work) often has different economics than project-based (fixed scope) or advisory (specific decisions). Commitment level affects pricing - more days per week or longer engagements typically mean lower day rates since they provide planning stability. Scope and complexity also factor in: a straightforward platform review differs from navigating a complex multi-year migration. For context, full-time senior data architects cost €150-250K+ annually in total compensation. Fractional provides access to similar expertise at a fraction of that cost - you pay only for the architecture work you actually need. Specific rates are discussed after discovery calls when the architect understands your situation and can propose appropriate engagement structures.
What does the first month working with a fractional data architect look like?
The first month establishes foundation and demonstrates value quickly. Weeks 1-2 focus on discovery and assessment: learning your codebase and technical stack, meeting your team to understand capabilities and concerns, interviewing stakeholders to map pain points and priorities, and reviewing current architecture to identify quick wins and structural issues. Weeks 3-4 shift to action: addressing immediate problems that build credibility and trust, establishing working rhythm with the team (standups, reviews, pairing sessions), and building a longer-term roadmap based on discovered priorities. By month end, you should have clarity on what matters most, a working relationship with the architect, and visible progress on at least one significant issue. The goal is demonstrating value fast rather than spending months in analysis before anyone sees improvement.
Do we need to commit long-term to work with a fractional data architect?
No long-term commitment is required to start. Most engagements begin with a focused piece of work that provides value regardless of what comes next: a platform review to assess current state and identify priorities, an architecture sprint to solve a specific problem, or advisory hours to validate a major decision. This initial work builds context before either party commits to ongoing engagement. You learn whether the architect’s style and expertise fit your needs; the architect learns whether your challenges match their strengths and whether the working relationship is productive. If ongoing fractional work makes sense after the initial engagement, great - you’ll have a foundation to build on. If not, you’ve still gotten value from the initial work and learned something about what you actually need.
Can a fractional data architect help with due diligence or funding rounds?
Yes - preparing for due diligence and funding rounds is a common engagement pattern. Investors and acquirers scrutinize technical infrastructure, and data architecture often raises questions that founders struggle to answer confidently. A fractional architect can help in several ways: documenting your architecture clearly so it’s understandable to technical reviewers who don’t know your system, identifying and addressing obvious red flags before investors see them (technical debt, scalability concerns, security gaps), preparing technical answers for due diligence questions so you’re not caught off guard, and building a credible data roadmap that shows you’ve thought about scaling beyond current state. This preparation work typically runs 2-4 weeks and can significantly improve how your technical story lands with investors or buyers.
How quickly can a fractional data architect start?
Most fractional architects can start within 1-2 weeks of agreeing to work together. This assumes alignment on scope, standard contracting, and available capacity. Good fractional architects keep some buffer in their schedule specifically for new engagements - being fully booked with no flexibility makes it impossible to help new clients. If you need someone tomorrow for an emergency, that’s harder - but for urgent situations, an architect can often provide initial advisory hours quickly while ramping up to fuller engagement. When evaluating timeline, factor in your own readiness: do you have documentation to share, people available for onboarding conversations, and clear enough priorities to get started? Your preparation affects how quickly an engagement becomes productive.

Still Have Questions?

Book a 30-minute call to discuss your specific situation. No pitch - just an honest conversation about whether I can help.

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