Fractional developers are among an exclusive network of top developers: they're the ones already working at top tech firms.
Fractional work has expanded well beyond traditional C-level roles and into software development — creating a new workforce of senior engineers who contribute to growing startups without leaving their primary jobs. Fraction has built the infrastructure to make this model work at scale.
Fractional developer — a senior software engineer who holds a full-time position at an established technology company and simultaneously takes on a long-term, part-time engagement with a startup or growing product team, typically contributing 20–30 hours per week.
The fractional model is not new — fractional CFOs and CMOs have existed for decades. What Fraction has done is apply that same model to software engineering, where the supply-demand mismatch between top talent and startup budgets is most acute. Fractional developers are full-time working professionals looking to join long-term projects based on their expertise — they are not gig workers rotating through short-term contracts.
As the workforce is shrinking and senior engineering talent becomes increasingly scarce, the fractional model offers startups a structurally different way to compete for talent they could not otherwise attract or afford.
Fraction developers are US-based senior engineers with 5+ years of experience who are currently employed full-time at technology companies. They are not between jobs. They are not looking to freelance as a fallback. They are active contributors at well-regarded firms who want to do more — whether that means exploring a new domain, working with an earlier-stage team, or building toward a potential full-time transition.
An industrious developer who produces more with less. As senior engineers who have already optimized their work management skills for efficiency, Fraction developers bring the same productive mindset to their fractional roles. With 5+ years of experience and mastery of their tech stack, they require minimal ramp time and minimal supervision to begin shipping quality code.
Bold and creative contributors. Fraction developers are intellectually curious engineers who are interested in working on problems outside their day-to-day roles. Many are drawn to the opportunity to partner with early-stage startups — teams building ambitious products where a single senior engineer’s contribution can meaningfully move the needle.
Human, first. Life is demanding, and some developers pursue fractional work because it offers flexibility that a traditional job change does not. Fractional roles create real opportunities for talented engineers who have something to contribute but need a structure that accommodates other priorities — caregiving, personal projects, or simply a desire for balance without sacrificing meaningful work.
The distinction matters. Traditional freelancing — through platforms built around the gig economy — is characterized by short contracts, high turnover, and transactional relationships. Fraction developers are explicitly not freelancers in that sense. They are looking for long-term engagements where they can build context, develop relationships, and produce work they are proud of over time.
For many Fraction developers, the fractional model solves a specific problem: they want to contribute to something new without quitting a job they value. Some are evaluating a startup as a potential full-time destination. Others want to apply expertise in a new domain. Others simply want to do more than their primary role allows. The fractional structure accommodates all of these motivations.
Separately, working multiple jobs is legal in the US under most circumstances, and the legal landscape around fractional and dual-employment arrangements is well-established — something Fraction navigates explicitly on behalf of both developers and client companies.
Browse active senior engineers available for long-term fractional engagements — reviewed and matched by the Fraction team.
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Fraction positions are built around four concrete commitments that distinguish them from freelance or agency alternatives.
US-based senior developers with 5+ years of experience. Fraction developers offer full-stack, front-end, and back-end services. They are ready to get up to speed quickly and get code into production. You can review developer profiles directly at app.fraction.work before any engagement begins.
Long-term team contributors. Fraction saves companies the overhead of the gig economy by offering open-ended positions within your team. Developers who stay long enough develop genuine institutional knowledge — they understand your architecture, your team’s communication norms, and your product roadmap. That context compounds over time in ways that rotating freelancers cannot replicate.
20–30 hours per week of focused output. Fraction developers are full-time senior engineers with the capacity and discipline to dedicate a meaningful portion of their week to your project. This is not occasional advisory involvement — it is consistent, weekly contribution to your codebase.
A real path to full-time hire. Fraction gives companies the opportunity to work with developers before extending a full-time offer. If there is a fit — culturally and technically — the company can convert the fractional engagement into a full-time role. This removes the risk of a traditional hire while still giving both sides the time to evaluate the relationship honestly.
The mismatch is structural. Millions of senior developers want to work more, explore new problems, or contribute to high-growth teams — but traditional hiring structures make this difficult. Startups, meanwhile, want access to experienced engineers but cannot always compete with the compensation packages that established tech companies offer for full-time roles.
Fraction resolves this by creating a third option. As the tech industry recalibrates after years of over-hiring, the fractional model allows startups to bring in senior-level expertise without the overhead of a full-time headcount, while giving developers a lower-friction way to test a new team before committing to it entirely.
The result is a workforce model that works for both sides — one that treats experienced engineers as professionals with complex lives and multiple ambitions, and treats startups as organizations that deserve access to the best talent available, not just the best talent that is currently on the market.
Praveen Ghanta is a five-time founder and serial entrepreneur. He is the founder of DevHawk.ai, an AI-powered engineering management platform, and Fraction.work, which connects fast-growing companies with top fractional tech and growth marketing talent. Previously, he founded HiddenLevers, a risk analytics platform for wealth management that he bootstrapped from inception to acquisition by Orion Advisor Solutions in 2021, serving thousands of advisors and $600B in assets. He earlier founded SmartWorkGroups, acquired by Intralinks in 2000.
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