fractional CTO, Sydney
Fractional CTO in Sydney,
for businesses that run on tech but don't sell it.
Lee BooyFormer CTO, The Missing Link. Former IT Director, amaysim.
antics is a part-time CTO for owner-led businesses in Sydney that are scaling: your systems, security, vendors and AI, with someone senior in charge. The operations side comes with it. Packs from $1,000 a month, ex GST.
what it covers
The tech side of the business,
with someone senior in charge.
Systems joined up
Fewer tools that talk to each other, so data goes in once and the reports match.
Cyber security and backups
Your basics checked against the Essential Eight, and backups that would survive a bad day.
IT provider oversight
Someone on your side of the contract, checking the work and the quotes before you sign.
Build or buy, decided on the numbers
Off the shelf where it fits. When a build makes sense, a developer I bring in, quoted first.
AI your team actually uses
A few jobs a week handed to AI, with a person checking the output.
your IT provider vs a CTO
They keep the lights on.
I decide what's worth buying.
I've sat on both sides of the table. I've negotiated seven-figure IT contracts as the buyer, and run the managed services business on the other side.Before antics · amaysim and The Missing Link
| Compared | Your IT provider | A CTO at your table |
|---|---|---|
| The job | Your IT providerKeeps the lights on: devices, accounts, fixes. | A CTO at your tableDecides what's worth buying, and what to stop paying for. |
| Selling | Your IT providerSells you more of what they sell. | A CTO at your tableNo hardware, licences or support to sell. |
| Contracts | Your IT providerWrites them. | A CTO at your tableChecks them before you sign, and renegotiates. |
| Works to | Your IT providerThe service agreement. | A CTO at your tableYour plan and your numbers. |
the first step
I go through your IT provider's contract, your licences and every subscription. You get a keep, cut or renegotiate list.
- Keep
- Cut
- Renegotiate
Usually the IT provider contract. The fix is a better one.
Fewer tools that talk to each other, so your team stops re-keying.
No savings percentage promised. Or start wider with two days under the hood, $4,000 fixed, ex GST.
security and backups
Security basics,
in every pack.
Every pack's first 90 days includes a check of your security basics against the government's Essential Eight. If you need a formal assessment, that goes to a specialist.
Backups
Could you get it all back after a bad day?
Access
Who can get into what, and should they still?
MFA
A second check on every login that matters.
Patching
Updates applied, not put off until later.
Before antics · amaysim, 2013-2017
Set up the security operations team.
Before antics · The Missing Link, 2017-2019
Took the business through SOC2 and ISO27001, and helped stand up the security operations centre with the CISO.
At antics
Essential Eight checks for antics clients.
the operations half
Most of what holds a growing business back isn't the tech.
The COO half comes with every pack: the compass (your 12-month operating plan: hiring triggers, roles and owners, built on your accountant's numbers) and the monthly rhythm that keeps it moving. Same person, same packs, one plan.
The operations side, in detailPacks from $1,000 a month, ex GST.See the packs and prices
before antics
I've sat in the CTO chair.
Before antics: results from Lee's employed and owner roles. These businesses aren't antics clients. Role confirmed by techpartner.news (2017); figures from Lee's records.
Before antics · The Missing Link, 2017-2019
Customer satisfaction from under 50% to 98%.
First CTO of a $120m IT services business, leading 60 engineers, architects and project managers. Agile teams, real-time dashboards for everyone, SOC2 and ISO27001.
98%customer satisfaction, from under 50%
86%staff satisfaction, from 60%
Lesson: unhappy customers are usually a process and visibility problem first.
techpartner.news, 20 Sep 2017Before antics · amaysim, 2013-2017
Systems that kept up through 5x growth and an ASX listing.
IT Director. Moved to AWS with self-healing infrastructure, upskilled 80+ staff in DevOps, and set up the ops, DevOps, BI, PMO and security teams. The tech stack was highlighted as a strength in the 2015 ASX listing.
99.9%uptime, from 90%
1m+customers, through 5x growth
Lesson: build the systems a step ahead of growth.
questions
Questions about the tech side.
We already have an IT provider.
Good, keep them. They keep the lights on. I make sure what they do, and what they sell you, fits your plan, and that the contract is right.
Do you write code?
Not day to day. I've built with AI tools, and for builds I bring in a developer, quoted first.
Do we need ISO27001 or SOC2?
Only if your customers ask for it. I've taken a business through both.
Will you replace our IT provider?
Not unless it's the right call. Usually the answer is a better contract, not a new provider.
What about AI?
It's part of every pack: a few jobs handed to AI, with a person checking the output. To start small, book a 90-minute AI working session, $500 ex GST. AI, sensibly
How much of this is on site?
It depends on the pack. The rhythm is remote. One day a month is on site or remote, two days include at least one on site, and a day a week is on site every week. On site means Sydney metro.
get started
Weighing up a big tech call?
- 1A 30-minute chat. No prep, no pitch deck.
- 2A one-page plan with a pack and a price. Or the IT and software bill check, if you'd like to start there.
- 3Start month to month.
Not sure you're the right size or stage? That's what the chat is for.