Ed Mehran — Fractional CTO & Technical Advisor
Fractional CTO for product launches, rebuilds, and AI adoption.
I help founders, SMEs, and innovation teams make the right technical decisions early, then work hands-on to ship production-ready software. Fewer mistakes. Clearer outcomes.
Who I work with
I work with people and teams who are building or evolving real digital products, where clarity, quality, and ownership matter.
01
Solo founders
Turning ideas into real products, from early decisions to production-ready software.
02
SMEs
Improving digital processes and adopting AI and automation, with clarity and ownership.
03
Innovation teams
Exploring new solutions under time pressure, uncertainty, and evolving technical constraints.
If you need senior technical thinking and someone who actually ships, not just advises, we'll work well together.
Services
How I can help
Advisory
Technical & Product Advisory
I help you make the right technical and product decisions before costly mistakes happen. This includes architecture choices, scope definition, and aligning technical direction with real business goals. Where relevant, this also covers AI consulting: understanding where AI adds value, where it doesn't, and how to approach it pragmatically.
Good fit when you need clarity on what to build, how to build it, or whether AI actually makes sense.
Execution
Hands-on execution where it matters
When execution is required, I work directly on the product. From MVPs to critical features and solid foundations, I take ownership of delivery, code quality, and outcomes. I integrate closely with your team to move fast without compromising maintainability.
Good fit when you need someone to own delivery, not just advise.
AI Enablement
AI Transformation & Enablement
I help companies understand where AI actually adds value and how to integrate it into real workflows. This includes process analysis, tooling setup, and hands-on coaching to adopt tools like Claude Code, ChatGPT, n8n, and other AI tools selected based on the specific needs of the team, improving speed, quality, and confidence across teams in a practical and measurable way.
Good fit when AI feels promising, but unclear or underutilized.
Start here
SEO + AI Discoverability Audit (GEO)
Generative Engine Optimization
Get referenced by ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity
A fixed-scope audit that shows why your website does not show up in AI answers, and what to change to become a source AI can cite.
You get a scored report, a prioritized action plan, and clear implementation guidance. No fluff, no busywork.
This audit covers technical SEO, content structure, and how AI systems interpret and reuse your information.
- Technical SEO and indexing review (crawlability, metadata, internal links that affect AI ingestion)
- AI readiness checks (entity clarity, structured data, quotable content)
- Content and positioning gaps that block qualified leads
- Prioritized roadmap with effort and impact estimates
CHF 1'000 fixed fee, credited if we continue together within 30 days
01
Audit report (PDF)
- AI Visibility score (0 to 100)
- Top issues ranked by impact
- Technical findings with concrete examples
02
Action plan (30-60-90 days)
- Quick wins vs bigger fixes
- Clear owners: dev, content, marketing
- Acceptance criteria for each task
03
Implementation blueprint
- Schema and structured data guidance
- Page and FAQ templates AI can quote
- Tracking setup for AI referrals
Good fit if
B2B, SaaS, services, or high-consideration offers
Not a fit if
You want more traffic without changing content or structure
Ways to Work with Me
A clear way to start
If you want senior technical judgment with hands-on execution, start with one of these focused engagement options. Each one is designed to create clarity fast and reduce wasted time.
Technical & AI Assessment
A fixed-scope engagement to understand where your product or processes stand today, where AI adds real value, and what to do next.
Ideal for: SMEs and teams needing clarity before investing in implementation.
Start with an assessmentAI Enablement Sprint
A time-boxed sprint to help your team adopt AI and automation in real workflows, with practical coaching and tooling setup.
Ideal for: Teams that want measurable adoption, not experiments.
Run an enablement sprintFractional CTO / AI Transformation Lead
Ongoing leadership to guide technical direction, prioritize the right work, and support implementation without hiring full-time.
Ideal for: Founders and innovation teams navigating complexity and change.
Discuss a fractional roleProcess
How I work
1
Understand the problem, context, and constraints
2
Define the right technical and product approach
3
Execute hands-on or guide execution with focus and clarity
4
Review, refine, and move forward
Clear process. No unnecessary complexity.
Why me
Why work with me
I'm not just a developer.
I've built products as a founder, led teams, raised funding, and made real decisions under pressure, often with limited time and budget. I know where clarity matters because I've experienced firsthand what happens when it's missing.
Today, I bring that perspective into every engagement, combining senior technical judgment with hands-on execution to help teams move forward with confidence.
Background
Background & experience
I've built products from zero to production as both a founder and a hands-on engineer.
I'm CEO and co-founder of Vivento Lab, an AI software studio where I lead AI strategy, product development, and client delivery. Through this work, I help teams adopt AI responsibly across development, operations, and decision-making processes.
Over the years I've worked across startups, SMEs, and public institutions in Switzerland and Germany, taking roles that combine execution with ownership: full-stack development, architecture, product decisions, and go-to-market support.
I'm comfortable going deep in the codebase (Laravel, Statamic) and zooming out to define what should be built next, and why.
Selected initiatives
If you'd like the full timeline, certifications, and education, you can find my complete profile on LinkedIn.
View LinkedIn profileTechnical scope
Technical scope & tools
I work hands-on across the full product stack, making architectural and product decisions and choosing tools based on context, scale, and long-term maintainability.
Backend & APIs
PHP, Laravel, Symfony, Statamic
MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, MongoDB
REST APIs
Frontend
Alpine.js, Livewire, TailwindCSS
JavaScript, HTML5
CMS & Commerce
Statamic, Shopify, custom CMS solutions
Cloud & Delivery
AWS, Docker, CI/CD pipelines
AI & Automation
OpenAI, Claude, n8n, workflow automation
Product & leadership
Scrum, product ownership, technical leadership, translating business needs into technical solutions
FAQ
Common questions
A few answers to help you understand when a fractional CTO or an AI enablement engagement makes sense.
What does a fractional CTO do?
A fractional CTO provides senior technical leadership without a full-time hire. I help with architecture decisions, prioritization, delivery planning, and hands-on execution where it actually matters.
When should I hire a fractional CTO instead of a full-time one?
When you need senior direction quickly, but hiring full-time is too early, too risky, or too slow. Fractional support works especially well during product launches, rebuilds, scaling phases, and periods of uncertainty.
What does a technical & AI assessment include?
A focused review of your product, processes, and systems to identify risks, priorities, and where AI actually adds value. You get clear recommendations and a concrete roadmap, so you can invest with confidence.
What is an AI enablement sprint?
A time-boxed sprint to help your team adopt AI and automation in real workflows. It typically includes tool setup, best practices, and practical coaching on your own projects to improve speed and quality.
Do you work in German- and Italian-speaking Switzerland?
Yes. I work in English, Italian, and German, and I regularly support teams across Switzerland and Germany.
Do I need a Chief AI Officer (CAIO)?
Not necessarily. Many companies — especially SMEs — don't need a dedicated CAIO. What they need is someone who can evaluate where AI creates real value, integrate it into existing workflows, and guide the team through adoption. That's what I do as part of my advisory and AI enablement work.
Can you help us show up in Google and AI tools like ChatGPT?
This is not about tricks or prompt hacks. It is about making your website a reliable, citable source.
Yes. I help teams make their websites easier for search engines and AI systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity to discover, understand, and reference. This starts with a focused audit covering technical SEO, structured data, entity clarity, and content positioning. Based on that, I deliver a prioritized action plan and, if needed, hands-on implementation to turn visibility into qualified leads, not just traffic.
Let's bring clarity to your next technical decision.
No sales pressure. No obligation. A 30-minute conversation to understand your processes, explore where AI or custom software can help, and decide what makes sense next.
I work with a limited number of teams at a time to stay hands-on. If this is relevant, it's worth talking early.
Book a discovery call