Matthew provided an extraordinary impact to our business when we needed it most. Matthew provided an extraordinary impact to our business when we needed it most. We first contacted Matthew when we were having a serious reliability issue affecting our entire business operation on a large scale level. Matthew was able to fix in 15 minutes what several others were unable to solve in weeks, and provided several realistic paths forward to permanent resolution. After that, he has provided ongoing advisory level assistance with ongoing virtualization issues and strategy.
Fix unreliable systems. Get critical work moving.
Fractional CTO and CIO leadership plus senior hands-on engineering, for founders who do not have a CTO yet and for engineering leaders who need reliability, cloud cost, or scaling problems fixed.
Results clients can measure
AI infrastructure spend
From $20M to $12M in 30 days
Created controls for AI infrastructure spend and model priorities.
Planned maintenance downtime
From 3 weekends to 1 day
Planned maintenance that used to take systems down for 3 weekends now takes 1 day.
Sound familiar?
You are making architecture and hiring calls without a CTO in the room.
A critical project is stuck, and the platform will not scale.
Your vendor insists everything is fine. You know it is not.
The board, investors, or auditors want answers yesterday.
Starting prices
Monthly retainers for hands-on Null Engineer work, NullCXO leadership (fractional CTO and CIO), or a mix you choose. Set your hours, see the price, and go. NullCXO's standard rate is $275/hour.
Turnarounds, transformations, and other heavy executive work are scoped on their own, starting at $337.50/hour.
| Service | Starting from |
|---|---|
| Fractional CTO and CIO leadership (NullCXO) | $2,750/month for 10 hours |
| Hands-on engineering (Null Engineer) | $4,275/month for 20 hours |
| Startup Hybrid (leadership and engineering) | $2,225/month for 10 hours |
| Scoped projects | $1,250 |
| Advisory sessions | $125 |
Need a different split? Build Your Own lets you set your own mix of Null Engineer and NullCXO hours at published hourly rates.
These packages are Startup Hybrid only: one monthly retainer with a fixed split of Null Engineer and NullCXO hours, so build work and leadership stay on the same page.
Startup Hybrid: Startup Hybrid: Build. Lead. Together.
Fixed monthly packages that mix Null Engineer and NullCXO hours for founders who need both build and leadership.
Startup Hybrid includes an extra 5% off published hybrid pricing.
Engineering and leadership in one retainer, priced together.
Null Engineer: Senior & Principal Engineering Expertise
Senior engineers in your codebase and your cloud, without opening a req. We fix unreliable systems, cut cloud waste, and make deploys boring, for technical founders and engineering leaders who need depth now. Software, architecture, infrastructure, cloud, SRE, automation, and the gnarly problems that need someone who has seen it before.
NullCXO: Senior leadership, sized to your hours.
Leadership without hiring a full-time exec: fractional CTO and CIO leadership for strategy, teams, vendors, modernization, reliability, FinOps, and scaling.
Configure monthly hours
Up to 80 combined hours per month · 10-hour minimum engagement
Null Engineer
Senior & Principal Engineering Expertise
$225 USD/hour
NullCXO
Fractional CTO and CIO leadership and technology strategy
$275 USD/hour
How do you want time scheduled?
One monthly retainer. Choose how much Null Engineer and NullCXO you need at published hourly rates, with no package markup.
Best when you need both hands-on engineering and executive direction, and none of the fixed Startup Hybrid splits (Rain Launch, Thunder Build, Tempest Accelerate) fits. Startup Hybrid includes an extra 5% off published hybrid pricing; Build Your Own is your mix at full hourly rates.
Null Engineer · $225/hr NullCXO · $275/hr
Build Your Own bills standard Null Engineer and NullCXO hourly rates (no package discounts). Combined hours must be 10 to 80 per month. Guaranteed Sync Time adds 15% to the monthly subtotal. We bill in 30-minute increments.
Contract length depends on your combined monthly hours: 3 or 6 months up to 60 combined hours/month; 6, 12, 18, or 24 months above 60 combined hours/month.
Build Your Own
How monthly hours work
Your included hours refresh each month. If you do not use them, they do not carry forward. Hours do not roll over, pile up, move between Null Engineer and NullCXO, or turn into credits or refunds.
Engagement terms, prepaid fees, unused hours, and cancellation provisions are governed by the executed services agreement.
Start with this mixHow your hours work
- Included hours
- You get your chosen hours every month. Use them or lose them at month end (they do not roll over).
- Need more time?
- Extra hours are available at standard rates when we have capacity, up to your package quarterly cap.
- Billing
- Package discounts apply with a 3-month minimum. You pay month to month for your term: first month at signing, then the same amount each month until the term ends.
Engagement terms, prepaid fees, unused hours, and cancellation provisions are governed by the executed services agreement.
What's the difference between Null Engineer and NullCXO?
Null Engineer is hands-on engineering: senior and principal engineers who build, fix, and operate your systems. NullCXO is fractional CTO and CIO leadership delivered by Matthew McGowan: strategy, teams, vendors, and executive decisions, not hands-on delivery. Startup Hybrid and Build Your Own combine both in one monthly agreement, and Build Your Own lets you split 10 to 80 combined hours per month. Null Engineer and NullCXO are service brands operated by NullorNaN Systems LLC.
Can I mix engineering and leadership hours?
Yes. Build Your Own splits the month between Null Engineer at $225/hour and NullCXO at $275/hour (no package discounts). Optional Guaranteed Sync Time adds 15% to the monthly subtotal and reserves 10% of purchased hours for collaborative sessions (within the allocation, not added on top). Prebuilt and hybrid packages use their published prices.
What is dedicated time?
Standing calendar blocks reserved for you, for a 15% premium on your monthly retainer. Blocks use your purchased hours. They do not add hours or guarantee instant replies, and the premium does not apply to extra hours bought later.
Why is Startup Hybrid cheaper than splitting the same hours yourself?
Hybrid packages use fixed Null Engineer and leadership splits we plan around, so they get an extra 5% off published hybrid pricing. Build Your Own uses the same hourly rates with no package or hybrid discounts, even if the split matches a hybrid package. We bill in 30-minute increments.
What happens if I need additional hours?
Additional hours need your approval and available capacity. They are billed at standard rates in 30-minute increments, up to a quarterly cap set by your plan. See all packages for the caps.
Can I change plans or tiers?
If your needs change, ask us. We adjust after we agree in writing and confirm availability.
Do unused included hours roll over?
Your included hours refresh each month. If you do not use them, they do not carry forward. Hours do not roll over, pile up, move between Null Engineer and NullCXO, or turn into credits or refunds.
What is the minimum commitment and billing schedule?
Prebuilt and Startup packages use a term of 3, 6, 12, 18, or 24 months (minimum 3). Package discounts apply to the monthly rate on those terms. Build Your Own terms depend on combined monthly hours: 3 or 6 months up to 60 combined hours/month; 6, 12, 18, or 24 months above 60 combined hours/month. You pay month to month: first month at signing, then the same amount each month until the term ends. Total value is monthly rate times months in the term. No extra deposit. Engagement terms, prepaid fees, unused hours, and cancellation provisions are governed by the executed services agreement.
When is executive work quoted separately from NullCXO packages?
Turnarounds, transformations, crisis leadership, major org or architecture bets, and AI programs are scoped and quoted separately, outside standard NullCXO packages.
Where are you based?
NullorNaN Systems, LLC is based in Atlanta Metro / US Southeast. We serve clients across the U.S. and globally and work U.S. Eastern Time. Engagements are not 24/7 or on-call, and we will say so on the first call if you need an SLA.
Why the extra 5%?
Our prebuilt Startup packages combine Null Engineer work and executive technology leadership into one structured engagement.
Fixed splits are easier for us to plan and staff, so we pass the savings on to you.
That's why these packages receive an additional 5% discount on top of standard package pricing.
How we operate
NullorNaN Systems is self-funded. Matthew McGowan has done fractional CTO work since 2021, and NullorNaN Systems formed as an LLC in 2026. We run Null Engineer and NullCXO client work, and we build our own products with the same discipline we bring to engagements. Null Engineer and NullCXO are service brands operated by NullorNaN Systems LLC.
Client work funds what we build next. That keeps us honest about what actually ships and what actually lasts.
Advice is easy. We build here too, and we live with the results.
Your business stays yours.
How we protect your business
Confidentiality is table stakes. Long partnerships also need trust that what we learn on your engagement will not be used against you.
For 12 to 24 month retainers, we can add a competitive protection commitment in the agreement.
For qualifying engagements, we agree not to launch products or services that directly compete with your defined offerings during the term and for the same length of time after it ends.
- A 12-month retainer provides 12 months of post-engagement protection.
- An 18-month retainer provides 18 months of post-engagement protection.
- A 24-month retainer provides 24 months of post-engagement protection.
You and we define what is in scope in the contract. NullorNaN stays an independent company; the agreement spells out the lines.
We build alongside our clients, and we take seriously the trust that comes with that.
Let's talk
Let's figure out what comes next.
Urgent fire, big initiative, or ongoing leadership: it starts with a straight conversation about what is going wrong and what you need.
No pitch deck. No pressure. We will tell you honestly if we are not the right fit. Prefer the phone? Call (678) 926-9072. Leave a voicemail and we'll get back to you, or book a call for a guaranteed time.
(678) 926-9072. Leave a voicemail and we'll get back to you, or book a call for a guaranteed time.