A direct channel to the fans: an app for sports clubs

Starting point

The startup had a clear idea: an app where sports clubs get their own channel to their fans, without depending on social media. The founders had drawn up a plan for what they wanted to achieve and hired an offshore consultancy that assembled a team of backend developers, app developers, DevOps and UI/UX.

One of the founders had some technical knowledge, but nobody in the company had experience of leading technology at CTO level. Architecture, priorities and the consultancy's proposals therefore lacked someone on the company's side who could evaluate them.

The engagement

I joined as fractional CTO on the startup's behalf. The task was to set a sustainable, long-term plan and a system architecture able to grow from the first clubs to many more, and to be the founders' technical counterpart towards the consultancy. We started at one day a week. As the work with the team and the architecture took shape, the engagement grew to two to three days a week.

What I did

• Designed a system architecture for app, backend and operations built for more clubs and more fans without having to be rebuilt.
• Set a technology roadmap tied to the business plan, so the team built what the next step required instead of everything at once.
• Helped the founders see how the business model and the technical solution fit together, so that what is sold to the clubs can also be delivered and scaled.
• Acted as the company's technical voice towards the offshore team: requirements, priorities and review of proposed solutions, so the founders could decide on evidence.

Outcome

The startup got a long-term technology plan and an architecture that can handle growth, plus a basis for how the business model and the technology fit together. The founders could keep working with the offshore team with clear priorities and someone on their side who owns the technology decisions.