I've been having the same conversation a lot lately. Friends at the pub, former colleagues, even my mum – they all ask the same thing: "Why didn't you take that CTO job?"

Fair question, really. Over the past couple of years, I've been offered several full-time CTO roles. Good money, proper challenges, the kind of positions that would look impressive on LinkedIn. The sort of thing that, at 55, you're supposed to jump at.

I said no to all of them.

Instead, I'm still here in my little office at the bottom of the garden, running my business (GoTripod), writing code when I fancy it and working with start-ups and scale-ups who need someone to sort out their technical mess – or better yet, avoid making one in the first place.

People think I'm mad. Maybe I am. But let me explain why it makes perfect sense to me.

The long road here

I've been messing about with technology for over 35 years now. I started properly in the mid 80s, building desktop PCs in Bristol, UK when everyone still thought computers were just for big companies. I spent years crawling under desks running network cables, fixing servers (Novell Netware - anyone remember that?) in dusty cupboards, explaining to frustrated users why their email had stopped working again, driving up and down the M4 motorway to swap a failed hard drive in a server at 2am - Fun times.

From there, I worked my way up through field engineering, technical sales, software development and eventually into proper management roles. For the last 15 years, I've been the person making the big technical decisions – building teams, setting strategy, arguing with finance directors about infrastructure budgets and, yes, occasionally staying up all night when everything's gone wrong.

I've built platforms from scratch, scaled systems that started with three users and ended up serving thousands, and hired more developers than I can count. I've sat through enough board meetings to know that "synergy" is usually corporate speak for "we haven't thought this through properly."

But here's what all that experience taught me: the best decisions often come from outside perspective. When you're too deep in the weeds of one company's politics and processes, it's hard to see the wood for the trees.

Why I love what I do now

Working as a fractional CTO or consultant means I get to parachute into interesting problems without all the baggage. No office politics, no legacy decisions from five years ago that everyone's too scared to change, no endless meetings about meetings.

I can have honest conversations about technical debt without worrying about stepping on toes. Sometimes that means gently suggesting that the custom system they've been lovingly maintaining might not be the best use of their time anymore. Often, problems that feel unique and overwhelming have been tackled before – and there's no shame in learning from what others have done. The technical side still fascinates me. I enjoy writing Python, working through database designs, thinking about how APIs should work. Recently I was helping a client with their ISO 27001 compliance (not the most exciting topic, but important), and this week I'm working with one of my clients on a IoT based silo monitoring solution.

The variety keeps me learning. More importantly, it keeps me curious about what comes next.

Life in the garden office

As a remote-first business, we relocated to Cornwall back in 2010 – one of the best decisions we ever made. There's something to be said for working from home down here (though I still split my time between Cornwall and the rest of the UK). I start early, usually around 5am with a proper cup of coffee, and I can hear the birds waking up outside. When I need to think through a tricky problem, there are plenty of jaw dropping and inspiring places I can walk to and let my mind wander.

Try doing that from the 14th floor of a glass tower in Canary Wharf.

My clients benefit too. They get someone who's fully focused on their problems, not distracted by internal company drama. They can scale my involvement up or down based on what they actually need, rather than paying for a full-time executive whether they need one or not.

The tricky bits

Don't get me wrong – being an MD and a fractional CTO isn't always straightforward. Some months are busier than others, and you're constantly juggling multiple clients with different priorities and deadlines. Each business has its own culture, systems, and way of doing things, so you're always adapting.

The responsibility can feel heavy too – when you're advising on critical technical decisions, there's no hiding behind "that's what the consultant recommended" because you are the consultant.

But working again as the MD of GoTripod has changed everything. When challenges come up, we tackle them together as a team. Having people who understand the work makes all the difference – we can bounce ideas around and find solutions none of us would have thought of alone.

Plus, it means I can actually take holidays and there are people handling the marketing and admin bits. Best of both worlds really – all the variety of fractional work, but with proper support.

I recently took overall control of the business again and it's reminded me why I love working with people who share a similar view on life and work. Much better than being another cog in someone else's machine.

What I've learned

If you're thinking about making a similar leap, here's what I wish someone had told me:

Know what problems you actually solve. Clients care about outcomes, not your impressive career history. It took me a while to work out what I'm genuinely good at.

Stay hands-on. Management experience is valuable, but the technology changes so quickly that if you stop doing the actual work, you can lose touch pretty fast. I try to keep coding regularly, even if it's just small projects.

Start small and build trust. One successful project often leads to another. Word of mouth is everything in this game.

Think like a business owner, not a freelancer. You're building something sustainable, not just selling your time by the hour.

Choose your clients carefully. The best ones treat you like a trusted advisor, not just another supplier. Life's too short to work with people who make you miserable.

Why it works for me

Turning down those CTO offers wasn't about avoiding responsibility or taking the easy route. It was about finding a way to do the work I love, with the flexibility I want, at a stage in my life where I know what matters.

I get to solve interesting technical problems, help businesses grow, and still have time for long walks on the Cornish coast. I can take on challenging projects without the office politics and I can work with multiple companies rather than being tied to just one.

At 55, I've finally worked out what suits me. And it turns out, it's what I'm doing now – even if it took me a while to get here.

If you're a founder or leadership team who could use some experienced technical guidance – whether that's sorting out your architecture, getting compliant with regulations, or just building things properly from the start – drop me a line at gotripod.com I promise I won't try to sell you anything you don't actually need.