Chris Li · Founder

Fractional CTO &
Technical Partner.

Fractional CTO and full-stack developer for founders — bridging business and engineering with calm, clear tradeoffs.

CTO & Founder Experience
20+ Years Building Software
100+ Client Engagements
Technical Direction Founder Communication Team Alignment Product Strategy Architecture Hands-on Delivery Technical Direction Founder Communication Team Alignment Product Strategy Architecture Hands-on Delivery

By the numbers

Outcomes from the platforms I've co-founded, led, and shipped.

10× GMV growth in 3 years — Jou Sun
2 companies acquired — Deliveroo · Gigabud
100+ client engagements shipped — Lotus Creations
faster new-developer onboarding — Loadpipe
5,000+ wedding suppliers across 75 cities — Hitchbird

Technical clarity without having to become technical yourself.

Most founders don't need more technical detail — they need someone who can translate between the business and the build. I help you make confident technical decisions and keep the product moving, while you stay focused on running the company.

01

Understand the decisions

Architecture, build-vs-buy, and tradeoffs explained in plain language — so every call stays yours.

02

Align the team

A shared picture of priorities and progress across founders, designers, and developers.

03

Keep momentum

Senior, hands-on execution that keeps the product shipping — no stalls, no surprises.

Where I can help.

Three ways founders and teams bring me in — from early decisions to hands-on delivery.

  • Discovery & technical roadmapping
  • Architecture & system design
  • Vendor & agency evaluation
  • Build-vs-buy guidance

  • Requirements & scope definition
  • Sprint leadership & cadence
  • Code reviews & quality standards
  • Founder–engineer communication

  • Proof-of-concepts & MVPs
  • Integrations & APIs
  • Performance & optimization
  • Hands-on full-stack contribution

Selected work

I've worked across product builds, platform decisions, and performance constraints. These projects highlight how I approach real-world problems — from framing to execution.

Jou Sun

Hong Kong's first online farmers' market and grocery platform.

Leadership: Co-founder and CTO; led a hybrid team of seven.

10× GMV growth in 3 years; acquired by Deliveroo.

View case study

Social Agent

Hong Kong's first marketplace connecting companies with sales agents.

Leadership: Co-founded Hong Kong's first sales-agent marketplace as CTO.

Acquired in 2014; backed by Chinaccelerator and SOS Ventures.

View case study

Hitchbird

Destination wedding marketplace connecting couples with vendors across Asia.

Leadership: Founding engineer; built the platform as the sole engineer.

5,000+ suppliers across 75 cities; seed-funded by Catcha Group.

View case study

Bulldog Vibes

Custom Shopify apparel brand with 200+ original t-shirt designs.

Leadership: Founded the brand — owned identity, design, and storefront.

200+ original designs on a branded Shopify storefront.

View case study

Resolve Foundation

WordPress theme built with Gutenberg blocks for nonprofit.

Leadership: Owned the custom WordPress theme as the sole developer.

Block-based theme; WCAG 2.1 AA with full bilingual support.

View case study

Luah Jewelry

Shopify store optimization through refactoring and speed improvements.

Leadership: Owned technical optimization alongside digital agency Cogney.

Cut app fees; restored marketing-automation data integrity.

View case study
View all work

Experiments

Side projects exploring AI, tooling, and workflows.

Worksheet Processing API

An LLM microservice that turns educational worksheets into structured digital files.

Need a clearer technical direction? Tell me what's stuck.

Let's chat