The prototype got you 70% there
AI tools, no-code platforms, or a fast freelancer helped you prove the shape of the idea, but the product is not ready for real customers.
Forward-deployed CTO
The no bullsh*t CTO for founders who need software shipped, rescued, or made real.
I'm Mike Rispoli. I help nontechnical founders turn messy ideas, stalled builds, and AI-generated prototypes into production-grade software with product, design, and engineering leadership in one seat.
My work sits between fractional CTO, CPTO, and forward-deployed engineer: I translate founder vision into product direction, technical architecture, and the shipping discipline required to cross the final mile into reality.
When Founders Call Me
The handoff is messy
The agency, contractor, or internal team left behind unclear architecture, brittle code, missing context, or a roadmap nobody fully trusts.
The questions are getting expensive
Investors, customers, or your own team are asking technical questions that need clear product, architecture, and delivery judgment.
How I Engage
Product Rescue Audit
A direct diagnosis of what is stuck, what is worth saving, and whether the right move is repair, rebuild, or a sharper product cut.
Forward-Deployed CTO Retainer
Weekly CTO leadership across product direction, architecture, vendor decisions, team cadence, and the work required to get software shipped.
Ship Room Sprint
A focused 2-6 week push to turn a stuck build, AI prototype, or urgent product bet into something demoable, fundable, sellable, or production-ready.
CTO Confidential
I host Strictly from Nowhere and my segment, CTO Confidential, where I talk through leadership, product, engineering, founder reality, delivery pressure, and the parts of building software people usually sanitize.
Latest Writing
All postsJune 4, 2026
Production CTO for the AI-Prototype Era
Founders can get farther than ever with AI tools. The hard part is crossing the final mile into software customers can trust.
June 2, 2026
What to Do When Your AI Prototype Gets Stuck
The demo proved something. Now you need to figure out whether it is a product, a workflow, a throwaway prototype, or a technical trap.
May 30, 2026
Rebuild or Repair Your MVP?
A messy MVP does not automatically need a rewrite. The right call depends on what the current system is costing the business.
Selected Writing Elsewhere
Get In Touch
Stuck software is usually messier than a polished intake form. Send the context: what exists, what is broken, what is at stake, and what needs to be true next.