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Technical Leadership for Founders and CEOs
Scale. Ship. Agents.
I'll tell you what's actually broken. Even if it's not what you want to hear.
Three Problems. One Approach.
Early-stage You need someone who thinks strategically AND ships. I partner with developers to take you from idea to product in 30-90 days.
Scaling Something's wrong but you can't name it. I diagnose your problem quickly, and I work alongside your team until momentum returns.
Agent adoption Everyone's talking about AI agents. Most companies don't know where to start. I show you where they create real leverage in your business.
I'll give it to you straight, even if it costs me the engagement.
Who I am, what I do, and how I can help.
I'm Mark Alcazar, former Microsoft VP of Engineering. 25 years leading teams from 10 to 250+ engineers. Platforms used by 1.4 billion people.
I'm a roll-up-my-sleeves, get-things-done engineer. I don't just advise. I build, I mentor, I fix problems alongside your team. I've seen it all, and I have the scars to prove it.
My goal is to make you and your company succeed, and then make myself unnecessary.
Has your Engineering team hit a wall ?
Let's cut the BS
Are you overworked, underwater, and continually fighting fires? I can probably help you.
And I will quickly tell you if I can't.
My promise to you - I'll give it to you straight, even if it costs me the engagement.
I'm Mark Alcazar, former Microsoft VP of Engineering. I've led teams from 10 to 250+ engineers. Now I apply my hard-won learnings to help tech startups like yours scale their engineering teams, and break through the Complexity Ceiling. That brutal point between 20 and 50 engineers where everything that worked before suddenly doesn't.
I'm a roll-up my sleeves, get things done engineer. I love building stuff and solving problems. I've seen it all, and I have the scars to prove it.
I can help you apply my learnings to your team before you make the same costly mistakes
Trusted By
Recommendations
Mark is a leader for all waters calm or choppy
Mark is a leader for all waters calm or choppy. This unique trait makes him an asset to anyone looking to build stable long running organizations.
I worked with Mark for over 6 years during which I observed him scale from small to large teams, he led innovation, migration, transformation and did so with a steady hand. Furthermore he ran this with a portfolio approach managing high churn, medium churn and low churn products with different leaders and differing styles.
His experience since has been deep in building a variety of developer platforms at Microsoft which allows him to be unique in this field and expertise that others can benefit from.
I was lucky to work with and learn from Mark and am sure anyone collaborating with him will feel the same way!
- Akhil Kaza, Head of Engineering, Atlassian
Mark brings a calm and composed approach even in the toughest situations,
I've had the pleasure of working with Mark Alcazar, and I've been consistently impressed by his remarkable leadership and collaborative spirit. Mark brings a calm and composed approach even in the toughest situations, setting a tone that inspires trust and focus within the team.
He leads by example, demonstrating a direct and transparent communication style that fosters open dialogue and drives results. Mark is notably open to feedback, using it as a catalyst for growth and improvement - a true hallmark of a continuous learner.
What stands out about Mark is his ability to balance collaboration with decisive action, making him a valued partner and leader. I've seen firsthand how his approachability and willingness to listen strengthen team bonds and drive collective success.
One standout example was when Mark navigated complex Windows releases across consumers, developers, and a plethora of devices - the "construction management" required for such a release was immense, and he handled it with remarkable poise and effectiveness. His ability to orchestrate and communicate across multiple stakeholders was critical to the release's success.
I highly recommend Mark Alcazar for any leadership or collaborative role - his blend of calm leadership, openness to feedback, and commitment to learning make him an exceptional professional.
- Brijesh Bhatia, VP Wearables Engineering, Reality Labs @Meta
MEET THE FOUNDER & CEO
Mark Alcazar
Why I Do This Work
I've spent over 25 years solving the exact problems keeping you up at night. At Microsoft, I led teams through impossible transitions: shipping Windows 11 innovations while maintaining compatibility for 1.4 billion users, transforming 40% of my engineering team to create AI innovations, and turning around products to gain share and restore confidence and trust.
But here's what I learned: Whether you have 3 engineers or 50, you don't need Microsoft's processes. You need Microsoft's hard-won principles adapted to your context. What works at massive scale can be right-sized for your reality.
I work with founders at three inflection points: when you need to build something real, when your team stops scaling, and when your board is pushing on AI. For each one, I bring pattern recognition from decades of learning what breaks and how to fix it.
My goal is simple: build systems and leaders that thrive without daily intervention. Then get out of the way.
Why a Fractional CTO is the Smart Move
A Fractional CTO gives your team immediate access to seasoned leadership - without the delay, risk, or cost of a full-time hire.
At Fulcrion, I focus on helping growing engineering organizations restore velocity and momentum through proven leadership patterns and technical clarity.
And with over 25 years of experience leading large-scale teams and platforms, I don’t just advise. I help you build, mentor, and implement. The result? An upgraded engineering team executing with velocity.
Engagement Options that Scale
Whether you need clarity, strategy, or transformation, there's an option for your business
With every engagement focused on delivering measurable ROI
Top Blockers Sprint
The Top Blockers sprint is an intensive effort to deliver a plan to address your top business problems. Whether you need an MVP delivered, or you're struggling to cale, or you want to adopt agents, top-blockers can quickly give you a real plan.
Here are some problems the Top Blockers sprint can help with:
You need to ship but don't have a technical leader. You've got developers and a vision but no one connecting the two. You think you're ready to launch, but you could use advice. Or perhaps you're in early stages of scaling and starting to have growing pains. I'll work with you and your team to assess where you are, and quickly make recommendations.
Your team is growing but something's off. Shipping is slower, decisions take longer, and you can't quite name the problem. I diagnose it fast and work alongside your team until momentum returns.
You know AI agents could change your business but don't know where to start. Everyone's talking about it. Most companies are experimenting. Few are seeing real results. I cut through the noise and show you exactly where agents create leverage in your specific business. A real plan that helps your bottom line.
Some sprints solve the entire problem. Some become ongoing partnerships. Either way, you get clarity in 4 weeks.
If You Need Hands-On Leadership
Leadership CTO
I build and lead your technology strategy hands-on. I start with a complete assessment of your team's architecture, structure and rhythm. I then make concrete recommendations, and guide your team on execution. Not consulting, actually leading. Making decisions, running meetings, fixing problems.
And my goal is to build durable systems and leaders so your team levels up, and success becomes sustainable.
Advisor CTO
This option provides post-transformation oversight. With bi-weekly check-ins to keep you on track, and a trusted sounding board for critical decisions.
Contact Us
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