David

David Tanacea

Helping growth-stage companies turn engineering bottlenecks into predictable delivery and strategic technical clarity
Fractional CTO

Areas of expertise

I help technology leaders and their businesses when engineering stops being an enabler and starts being the bottleneck to growth and quality.

  • Unpredictable sprint delivery that makes planning across the business impossible
  • An absent or unclear technology roadmap that leaves engineering disconnected from product and commercial goals
  • Drift between what the business needs and what the team is building
  • Blurred ownership and decision rights that slow everything down and create escalation gaps
  • Release cadences the business cannot rely on or plan around

I come in, diagnose what is actually broken, and put the structure in place to make engineering a competitive advantage again.

About Me

I am a Fractional CTO who steps in when technology has become a bottleneck to growth and quality.

I work with companies that need senior technical leadership without the full-time overhead - bringing structure, clarity, and delivery discipline to engineering teams that have lost momentum.

The transformation I deliver is concrete: restored sprint predictability, a stable release cadence the business can plan around, and a prioritized technology roadmap that eliminates drift.

I align engineering tightly with product and business objectives and build structured team accountability - clear ownership, decision rights, and escalation paths that stick.

My credibility comes from doing this at scale. I built two startups through to acquisition and served as CTO at two companies, each time implementing a technology operating model that accelerated delivery and reduced costs.

I know what good looks like because I have built it.

Available for project-based work, ongoing retainers, fractional roles, and on-call advisory

Send Me a Message
Intro Call

30 minutes

A quick introductory call to discuss your needs and see if we're a good fit to work together. No commitment required.

View all sessions
Details

Country

United States

Qualification
BS, Business/Computer Science University at Albany 1980 - 1984
Social Links

  • Built Two Startups Acquired by Larger Companies

    Founded and scaled two ventures through full acquisition exits, validating technical and business execution.

  • Served as CTO at Two Separate Companies

    Implemented technology operating models and restructured engineering orgs, delivering faster output at lower cost.

  • Restored Sprint Predictability and Release Cadence

    Rebuilt delivery processes so engineering teams ship consistently and the business can plan with confidence.

Specialties and Expertise

Areas of Expertise

Leadership

Technology Consulting

Strategy

Specialties

Map core processes Diagnose bottlenecks Redesign workflows Define operating rhythms Assess tech landscape Define tech roadmap Align tech investments Plan legacy modernisation Design team structure Define role expectations

Sessions

Intro Call

A quick introductory call to discuss your needs and see if we're a good fit to work together. No commitment required.

30 min
Book Now

Common Questions

I help growth-stage companies where engineering has become a bottleneck—missed sprints, unpredictable releases, misaligned roadmaps, and teams without clear ownership or accountability.

This is a good fit for founders and executives who need their technology function to operate as a business driver, not a source of friction and firefighting.

Restored delivery predictability, a prioritized technology roadmap aligned to business objectives, and a structured operating model with clear ownership and decision rights across engineering.

We assess where the real breakdown is—delivery, strategy, team structure, or all three—and determine whether working together will move the needle for your business.

Engagements are scoped around a specific problem and built on what I have done twice as a CTO—diagnosing the operating model, restructuring accountability, and implementing the changes that accelerate delivery and reduce cost.