martin laws

Fractional CTO
×
AI Design Engineer

For design-minded founders whose stack wasn't built for what comes next.

Great vibes or your money back.

Why clients call me

You need technical leadership that has real judgment about product, not just execution.

You need someone who can sit across from your customers, designers, engineers, and board of directors — and translate between them.

You need someone who can use the latest AI to build real software — not just vibe-coded prototypes.

And you need someone you'd actually want to see on the other end of a Zoom call at the end of a hard day.

How I'm different

Most consultants jump straight to building. I don't. Clarity comes before code — because taste and judgment are what you're paying for, not tonnage.

I'm a Fractional CTO × AI design engineer. A hacker at heart with great taste.

My incentives are aligned with yours: I get paid to help you make the smartest moves, even when that means recommending the simpler option.

Together, we'll ship something you're proud of.

How I work

Headshot of Martin

Diagnostic Sprint

A focused engagement to name the real problem before writing a line of code. Written report, code review, technical strategy, and two collaborative working sessions. Most teams that call me don't need more developers — they need clarity on what to build and why. From $7.5k.

Embedded Fractional CTO

Interim or fractional technical leadership for operating companies. I embed with your team — making the hard technical calls, shipping the critical features, and helping you get ahead of the latest and greatest in AI tooling for everything from rapid prototyping through secure enterprise-grade production systems. Typically two focused working sessions per week (~1.5 hrs each). You get a real technical lead, not a meeting to prepare for a meeting. From $10k/mo. For operators who need a CTO in the room, not on the cap table.
New in 2026

Paired Build

When the product needs both design and technical depth from day one. A paired build means one design conversation, one codebase, no drift between what you approved and what ships.

I partner closely with Gev Design. Recent Paired Builds: Inflection Summit, Peerly, Tightrope.

Better taste than your most expensive robot

You get real judgment about what to build and how, not just execution. AI is a force multiplier; taste is the filter. 'Elegant' is the benchmark — not the most complex, not the most expensive, the right one.

AI that holds up

Taste picks what's worth building; AI accelerates how it gets built. I use the latest tools every day — to multiply clarity, not to cut corners. Output stays boring in the good way: predictable, maintainable, yours.

Built to run without me

I'm not trying to become a permanent dependency. You leave with the systems, tools, and playbooks to keep shipping. A team that's got its shit together beats a team that's got me on retainer.
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Charlie Stableford

Senior UX Designer

I honestly believe that I would not be where I am in my career or feel as confident in myself and my career if it wasn't for Martin. He has this incredible ability to listen to a wide range of problems from people that are different from him, and problem solve in a way that keeps who they are at the center of the solution.


Martin leans on his experience without centering himself, and does it effortlessly. His confidence is infectious. I think this is because of how he communicates, speaking other people's language to make sure they truly understand.

Luke Andrews

Head of UX at Assembled

Martin is the person you want to work with. He knows design, and knows web and front-end development inside and out. He cares deeply about accessibility, and building great experiences for people.


But no matter what, Martin is just a great person period — a fun and funny collaborator, a confident communicator, and a natural leader who's going to get stuff done.

Ryan Neufeld

UX Design Leader

It's rare to come across a talent that can so effectively combine expertise in development with the ability to communicate across disciplines. I had the privilege to manage Martin for almost a year and a half, relying on him as a close confidant in leading the strategic execution of the product design vision.


Martin's growth from a skilled individual contributor into a leader who mentored others and drove the maturity of product development processes was inspiring. His sense of humour and winning personality could cut the tension in any difficult meeting.

Selected work

tl;dr

Twelve years in tech. Nearly five at Shopify, leading front-end and UX engineering for Custom Data, Media, and App Developer Experience. Before that, UX Development with clients including The Globe and Mail, and a lot of creative technical work that taught me to sweat the details.

GEV DESIGN
Fractional CTO
2025—present
PEERLY
Fractional CTO in partnership with Gev Design
2026—present
INFLECTION SUMMIT
Fractional CTO in partnership with Gev Design
2026
TIGHTROPE
Fractional CTO in partnership with Gev Design
2026
CONFIDENTIAL FINTECH
Interim CTO-turned-Technical Advisor
2025—present
FITC: From Vibe Coding to Production AI Systems
Speaker
2025
FROM HERE
Fractional CTO, Canadian local marketplace
2025
THE DEPANNEUR
Fractional CTO, custom Shopify storefront and app for an innovative restaurant space
2025
SHOPIFY
Staff Developer & Engineering Manager — UX engineering for Custom Data, Media, and App Developer Experience
2020—2025

Diagnostic Sprint

Most teams that call me don't need more developers — they need clarity on what to build and why.

This is also how most of my Fractional CTO and Paired Build engagements begin — it's the cheapest way to find out if we should work together at all.

The diagnostic sprint is a focused engagement to define the real problem before writing a line of code. You'll walk away with:

  • Written report: A clear map of opportunities and risks, documented so your whole team can align on what matters.
  • Code review: If you have existing code, I'll assess its health and identify what's helping or hurting your velocity.
  • Technical strategy: A concrete plan that connects your technical decisions to your business goals.
  • Collaborative session: We'll work through the findings together so you leave with clarity, not just a document.

From $7.5k. Pricing varies based on scope.

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