Mentorship & Advisory for founders, CTOs, and the engineers about to become them.
I work with founders preparing for their next phase, investors sizing up technical risk, and CTOs navigating the calls that will define their tenure.
If you're facing a decision that will shape your engineering organization for the next two to three years, that's the room I'm most useful in.
Where I help most
First VP of Eng
The hire that unlocks the next stage, or costs you a year.
Scaling past Series B
The team that shipped has to become an org that scales. Most break here.
A platform rewrite
Whether to rewrite at all, then how to survive it if you do.
Technical diligence
Reading an engineering org from the inside, for investors and acquirers.
CTO succession
Stepping up, or handing off, without dropping the thread.
The AI question
What actually changes in how you build and staff, past the hype.
How it works
We work the way the decision needs. Most engagements take one of three shapes.
Ongoing advisory
A standing cadence over months, with access between calls.
A single session
One focused conversation on one decision, when that is all you need.
A scoped project
Diligence, a search, or a rewrite call, with a clear start and end.
Not sure which fits? Book an intro call and we will find it together.
Before this
Two decades building and running engineering orgs: Chief AI Officer and CTO at BuildOps, CTO at Weedmaps, a NASDAQ-listed company that grew past 300 engineers, and VP of Engineering at ShopKeep (acquired by Lightspeed for $440M).
What clients say
Working with Duncan this year has been a real force multiplier for our product org. He sharpened our processes and has a knack for translating our product strategy into a clear story for the board and our executive team, so everyone is aligned on where we're going and why. I'm excited to keep building with him as we scale.
Duncan has been a great resource for me, helping with everything from technical problems to organizational ones to my own career growth. On the technical side, his breadth and depth of knowledge have helped shape how my team has approached some of the hardest challenges we've faced. He's also helped me work through questions around team structure, culture, and processes, and has worked with me on my career growth and given feedback around specific areas to focus on to develop as a leader.
Start a conversation
Book an intro call, or send a note about what you are facing. I will tell you if I am the right person for it, and point you elsewhere if I am not.
Prefer email? hello@grazierventures.com. Or reach me on LinkedIn.