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FRACTIONAL CTO · PHASE ONE

The Build: your website, ads and back office, built with your team.

Over about three months, I build the software your business runs on, side by side with your staff. It starts from a written plan. It ends with a handoff: your team gets the keys and the guardrails.

Find your fit →
Book a callStart with the Scoping Sprint →
from $18,000
Fixed scope, priced in writing after the Scoping Sprint.
About 3 months
Built alongside your team, one working piece at a time.
Handoff
Your team gets the keys and the guardrails. I stay on call.

What gets built

The Scoping Sprint decides which of these you need, and what to leave alone.

  • Your website

    A fast, clear site that turns visitors into orders, bookings or calls. If yours already works, we keep it.

  • Ads, where they pay

    Google Ads and the landing pages they point to, when the numbers make sense for you. If they don't yet, I'll say so and we skip them.

  • The back office

    The system your staff use every day: orders, stock, purchasing, pricing, delivery. One place for the work, not five spreadsheets.

Recent work

Production software, not a slide deck.

a Houston-area wholesale distributor

Website and back office · handed over in August 2026

I built it with the owner. Then he took over the changes.

I built a new website. Then the owner and I built a back office for reorders, purchasing, pricing, delivery and sales. He started building alongside me in June. At handoff in August, the owner had the code, a How-To Guide built into the app, and Claude set up so he could change it himself. I am still on call.

55 of 56
changes after handoff, made by the owner
59
back-office screens
24
chapters in the staff guide built into the app
Changes to the software, by who made them

From April to July I made most of the changes, and the owner joined in from June. After handoff on August 17 that flipped. From September 1 to 11 the owner made 52 changes and I made 1.

Changes to the software, by who made them
MonthThe ownerMe
Apr016
May031
Jun638
Jul945
Aug324
Sep 1–11521

Each bar is a month of changes. The software is the website and back office of a Houston-area wholesale distributor. The last bar is September 1 to 11.

See the handoff →

a Houston meal-prep brand

Ads, online store and back office · 2026

Ads, a faster storefront, and a back office for the kitchen.

I rebuilt their storefront. I also built the order messages that made a second weekly delivery day possible. Then I built a back office for cook plans, kitchen sheets, stock, purchasing and costing. I handed it over in September, and the team is early in using it day to day.

55 / 55
kitchen-sheet checks that matched the owner's own records
98.8 / 100
score reading 12 real supplier invoices
16 → 5
screens, after we simplified the back office
2,430
automated tests

We still work together: I run their Google Ads and I'm building what's next.

Read the case study →

Royal Pawz USA

Houston · Mobile dog grooming

12× monthly revenue by month six.

Google Ads, a landing page, online booking and text follow-ups. I built it and run it as one system.

16 → 136
grooms per month, December to the May peak
30.8%
booking conversion, up from 7.1% (A/B tested)
52%
of revenue from repeat customers by June, up from 13%

Working with Zapp Studios completely transformed our business. The booking system they built and the way they optimized our funnel - we went from barely getting customers online to having a system that just works.

Owner, Royal Pawz USA. I'm an equity partner there.

Read the case study →

What the three months look like

Built with your team, not handed over the wall.

  1. From the plan

    The Sprint gives us a written scope, a timeline and a fixed price. The Build follows that plan.

  2. Every week

    You click through working software, not status reports. Tell me what's off, and we fix it while it's fresh.

  3. As each part ships

    Your staff use it on real work, so nothing lands as a surprise.

  4. The last weeks

    Someone on your team starts making small changes with Claude, with me beside them.

  5. Handoff

    Your team gets the keys and the guardrails. Then you pick how much of me you need.

How it works

A short Scoping Sprint comes before the Build, and a handoff comes at the end. Every phase is priced before it starts.

Before the Build

Scoping Sprint

7–10 business days · $5,000 flat

We map how your business runs today and decide what to build. You get a written plan and a fixed price for the Build.

Credited in full if the Build starts within 30 days.

More on the Scoping Sprint →

  1. Build

    About 3 months

    I build your website, ads and back office alongside your team. Your staff use each part as it ships, so nothing lands as a surprise.

    Fixed scope, agreed in writing after the Sprint.

    from $18,000

    Scoped and priced in writing after the Scoping Sprint.

  2. Handoff

    End of the Build

    Before I step back, your team gets the keys and the guardrails. Every handoff includes the same things.

    Part of every Build.

  3. After handoff

    Your choice

    You pick how much of me you need. The standing warranty on my work stays in place whatever you pick.

    • Self-serve with on-call supportYour team makes the changes. When something breaks, you text me and I pick it up.priced at handoff, sized to what you run
    • Self-serve, pay per fixYour team makes the changes. When you need me, you pay for that fix and nothing more.priced at handoff, sized to what you run
    • Monthly fractional CTOI stay on as your part-time CTO. Each month we plan, build and review the work together.from $4,000/mo

Owned, not rented.

Every handoff includes:

  • Your code and accounts in your company's name
  • Claude set up for your team
  • Checks that run on every change before it goes live
  • A preview link for every change
  • A runbook
  • A staff guide

Changes that touch payments, security or your database come to me before they go live.

Standing warranty: if something I built doesn't work the way we agreed, I fix it. No invoice, no end date.

See the whole fractional CTO engagement →

Who you work with

Hamza Zulquernain

Fractional CTO · Zapp Studios · Houston

Based in Houston, working with owners here and remotely.

I take pride in this work, and I stay with it after it ships. The job is done when your business gets real value from it and your team can run it.

  • Founding engineer, DietAIBuilt the product, the funnel and the growth systems through a 7-figure exit.
  • Equity partner, Royal Pawz USA12× monthly revenue by month six.
  • Two back-office systemsBuilt with the owners and their teams, and handed over in 2026.

Questions owners ask

What does the Build include?

Up to three parts: your website, ads where they pay, and the back office your staff use every day. The Scoping Sprint decides which ones your business needs. The scope is written down before I start, so you know what you're getting.

How much does the Build cost?

It starts from $18,000. The Build is a fixed scope, and the price is agreed in writing after the Scoping Sprint. The Sprint is $5,000 flat, and it's credited in full if the Build starts within 30 days.

Why start with a Scoping Sprint?

So you see the plan before you commit to a Build. In 7–10 business days we map how your business runs today and decide what to build, what to buy and what to leave alone. You get a written scope, a timeline and a fixed price. The plan is yours, whether or not I build it.

How much of my team's time does it take?

Some, every week. You look at working software each week and tell me what's off. Your staff use each part as it ships. And one person on your team works next to me as the system grows, so they can make the small changes after handoff.

Why about three months?

That's what doing this well takes: time to build, time for your staff to use each part, and time for your team to learn to make changes. The Scoping Sprint sets the real timeline in writing.

What if we already have a website or tools we like?

Then we keep what works. The Sprint sorts out what to build, what to buy and what to leave alone. If a tool your team likes does its job, the back office can work alongside it.

Do we own what you build?

Yes. Your code, your data and every account sit in your company's name, not mine. That is part of every handoff. If you ever want a different developer, you hand them the keys and they pick up where I left off.

What happens when the Build is done?

Your team gets the keys and the guardrails. Your code and accounts sit in your company's name, and Claude is set up for your team. Checks run on every change before it goes live, and every change gets a preview link. You get a runbook and a staff guide. Changes that touch payments, security or your database come to me before they go live. Then you pick how much of me you need: on-call support, pay per fix, or a monthly fractional CTO.

What if something you built breaks later?

When something breaks, you text me and I pick it up. If the cause is in my work, there's no invoice. That's the standing warranty, and it has no end date. If the cause is a later change, an outside service or a new feature, it falls under the support option you picked at handoff. On-call support and pay per fix are priced at handoff, sized to what you run.

Let's see if this fits your business.

Answer a few questions, then book a 30-minute call. We'll talk through how your business runs today, what's worth building and what isn't. You'll leave with a clear next step, whether or not it's me.

Find your fit →Book a call