Henry and I have worked on a few businesses together now. He gets to grips with complex problems fast, he really understands users, and he turns all of that into a product that’s beautiful and easy to use. That combination is seriously impressive.
Founder to Founder
I work with founders and small teams who have a product to build or grow, that need someone experienced making the technical calls.
Some can code, some never want to. Either way, I’ll sit on your side of the table: deciding what to build and what to leave out, keeping progress steady and making sure the tech stands up to customers and investors.
When you need more than me, the Vida team is behind me, with design, brand and marketing in the same studio.
About me
I’ve built a startup, and helped plenty of others build theirs.
I’m Henry Coggin, co-founder of Vida Creative, where I’ve led our digital and technical work for ten years. I’m also co-founder and Chief Product Officer of BeamXR. We took our own XR tech to market with B2C and B2B products, raised around £600k including Innovate UK funding, and scaled to over 50,000 monthly active users powering over 2 million live-streams to date.
I know first hand everything a founder has to juggle: the product, pitch decks and pitching, investor setbacks, a pivot, and the sales and marketing on top. I’ve worked with lots of founders in the same position, so I know what you’re up against.
In good company
Founders I’ve
partnered with.
We’ve worked together twice now, first at Gas Angel and now at Mutha Cuva. Henry built all of our tech, but what really sets him apart is that he’s a business owner too. He understands the commercials, so the advice is always grounded in what’s best for the business.
Henry was with us from the early days, shaping our brand, the first version of the product and how we told our story to investors. He understood what we were building and why, and that set us up well for our merger in 2026.
Vida has been an integral part of NeuWave’s journey from day one. They’ve had a huge impact on how our product looks and feels. They’re flexible, easy to work with, and consistently deliver high-quality design.
When we first wanted to translate our school programme into digital platform, Henry was the one who helped us work out how. Six years on, he’s still our tech partner, and the platforms we’ve built together mean our work reaches more young people than ever.
What I do
Things I can
help with.
01
Own the tech
I take charge of features, architecture and the roadmap, deciding what gets built, in what order, and what doesn’t get built at all.
02
Guide your dev team
Already have developers? I’ll review what’s been built, help them past whatever’s blocking them and give them clear priorities to work to.
03
Build it with you
Need hands as well as a head? I’ll pick up the development myself, with Vida’s designers and developers when the job needs more.
04
In the room
I’ll represent the tech to customers and investors, answer the hard questions in due diligence, and make the product make sense to people who don’t code.
05
Go-to-market
Investor messaging, pitch decks, commercials and launch plans. Good tech only matters if people buy it, so I’ll help with the commercial side too.
Get started
How we could
work together
FAQs
Frequently asked
questions
What is a fractional CTO?
A senior technical lead who works with you part-time, instead of a full-time Chief Technology Officer. You get someone making the technical decisions, shaping the roadmap and guiding your developers, without hiring for a role you may not need full-time yet.
How is this different from hiring a dev agency?
An agency builds what you ask for. My job is to work out what’s worth building, from your side of the table. I can work alongside an agency, keep them on track or build it myself, whichever suits the product.
Do you write code yourself?
Yes, when that’s what’s needed. Some founders want me to own the decisions and guide their team. Others want me building. Most need a mix that changes as the product grows.
Can you work with our existing developers?
Yes, and it’s one of the most common setups. I’ll get to know your team and your codebase, agree priorities with you, and help your developers make good decisions without slowing them down.
Can you help us get ready for investors?
I’ll try! I don’t pretend I have all the answers, but I’ve raised investment myself and I understand the struggle. I’ll help you get the architecture, roadmap and technical story straight, and work on investor messaging and pitch decks with you. I can be in the room for due diligence too.
How much does it cost?
Monthly support is priced around the goals we agree up front. One-off projects, like a technical review or MVP scoping, are priced once we’ve agreed the scope. Either way, you’ll know the cost before we start, with no surprise extras.
What’s included each month?
It depends on what you need. It might be owning the roadmap, regular sessions with your developers, investor meetings or hands-on development. We’ll agree the focus at the start and review it as needed.
Can we change or stop it?
Yes. We can change the focus whenever your needs change, and there’s no long contract. Everything I build or document is yours, so you’re never locked in.
What if we’re not technical at all?
That’s fine, and it’s often when I’m most useful. I’ll explain the decisions in plain English, tell you what matters and what doesn’t, and make sure you’re never guessing about your own product.
