CTO in My Pocket
Your own technology advisor. Without the expensive salary.
Big technology expertise. Small monthly price.
Important technology decision? Get a straight answer from someone who understands small businesses. Direct access to Tom Crawley, founder of Neon Mountain, without hiring a full-time technology leader.
£99 + VAT/month
Interested in joining? Book an introductory call with Tom. We’ll talk through what you need and arrange your membership. This is separate from your included monthly 30-minute advisory call.
Sound familiar?
Plenty of technology.
Nobody to ask.
You have an IT provider, perhaps a developer, and a handful of software suppliers. But when a big quote lands or a system starts holding you back, who helps you decide what actually makes sense?
Smaller businesses make important technology decisions every day without experienced, independent advice. Suppliers have their own solutions to sell. You need someone who can look at the whole picture and challenge an expensive decision.
CTO means Chief Technology Officer. Think of this as access to an experienced technology advisor: someone to help you weigh up the options, ask better questions and spend sensibly.
What can you ask?
Real questions. Practical advice.
You don’t need a technical brief. Start with what’s on your mind.
“We’ve been quoted £20,000 for a new system. Is that reasonable?”
“Should we replace our spreadsheets with something better?”
“Is our software supplier recommending the right solution?”
“Could we automate this manual process?”
“Should we build bespoke software or buy something off the shelf?”
“How do we know whether we’re making the right technology decisions?”
How it works
A small subscription. A useful person to know.
Book a membership call
Choose a time in Tom’s calendar for an introductory conversation. We’ll talk through your business and what you need help with. This is separate from your included monthly 30-minute advisory call.
Arrange your membership
If it’s a good fit, we’ll agree your membership details and terms. Tom will send you a Stripe payment link to set up your £99 + VAT monthly subscription. One named contact per business.
Connect and ask away
Tom will help you get connected through WhatsApp Business or Slack. Bring up to three distinct advisory topics each month, discuss reasonable follow-up questions and arrange your included 30-minute call.
One simple subscription
Experience you can afford to keep close.
CTO in My Pocket
£99 + VAT per month
Independent, commercially sensible guidance on software, systems, suppliers, automation and technology strategy.
- Up to three distinct technology advisory topics per month
- Reasonable follow-up discussion on those topics
- One scheduled 30-minute advisory call per month
- Direct asynchronous messaging via WhatsApp Business or Slack
- Responses within two working days during normal UK business hours
- Preferential rates for additional advisory calls; pricing to be confirmed
One named contact per subscribing business. Billed monthly through Stripe.
Book a Membership CallWe’ll talk through what you need, confirm membership details and arrange payment personally. The introductory call is separate from your included monthly 30-minute advisory call.
Meet your CTO
Hi, I’m Tom.
I founded Neon Mountain to help businesses solve practical problems with technology. I’ve spent nearly 30 years in software engineering and technology leadership, working with SMEs, modernising legacy systems and developing bespoke applications.
I know that the best answer isn’t always a new system or a bigger budget. Sometimes it’s making better use of what you already have, simplifying a process, or asking a supplier the right question.
With CTO in My Pocket, you talk directly to me. Bring the question you’ve been putting off, the quote you’re unsure about, or the process that’s getting in everyone’s way. We’ll work out a sensible next step.
A few useful answers
Before you put a CTO in your pocket.
Is this IT support?
No. This is independent technology advice to help you make decisions. Fixing devices, troubleshooting outages, hands-on IT support and implementation aren’t included. There’s no emergency or out-of-hours support.
What counts as an advisory topic?
A topic is one distinct technology question or decision, such as whether to accept a supplier’s proposal or how to approach a manual process. Related clarification stays with that topic; a separate decision is a new topic. If you’re unsure, we’ll discuss the scope together.
Can I ask follow-up questions?
Yes. Reasonable follow-up discussion on your included topics is part of the subscription. If a question needs extensive research, an audit or implementation, that work is quoted separately.
What happens if I need more than three topics?
The subscription includes up to three distinct advisory topics each month. Speak to Tom about any extra advice you need so the scope and any additional cost can be agreed separately.
Can I book additional calls?
Yes. Members have access to preferential rates for additional advisory calls. Pricing is to be confirmed; speak to Tom to agree the cost before booking.
Do unused calls roll over?
No. Your one scheduled 30-minute advisory call is a monthly allowance. Unused calls and advisory topics don’t roll over into the next month.
Can I cancel my subscription?
Please speak to Tom about cancellation terms during your introductory call, including the cancellation process, any notice period and refund arrangements, before agreeing to membership.
Is this suitable for businesses with their own developer?
Yes. An experienced, independent second opinion can help you and your developer weigh up options, challenge supplier recommendations and connect technical decisions with business priorities. It can also help businesses that rely entirely on external suppliers.
CTO in My Pocket
Your next technology decision
could feel a lot clearer.
Three advisory topics. One 30-minute call. Direct access to Tom.
£99 + VAT per month.
Start with an introductory call with Tom. We’ll arrange membership and payment personally. Your introductory call is separate from the included monthly 30-minute advisory call.