Practice 03 / Software and technology
Leaders for software companies past the startup stage.
From first institutional capital to scale. The job usually changes shape between the term sheet and the hire, so we define it first.
Steward Well's technology practice finds engineering, revenue and finance leaders for software companies from $50M to $500M in revenue, including sponsor-backed SaaS businesses. A partner leads every search, with a calibrated shortlist in 21 days, completion in 45 to 90 days and a written 12-month guarantee.
Which technology roles do you search for?
- Chief Technology Officer, when the company needs a technical partner to the CEO
- VP Engineering, when delivery and team growth are the problem
- Chief Revenue Officer, when sales, marketing and success need one owner
- SaaS CFO, when recurring revenue metrics drive the board conversation
What changes when a software company passes $50M?
Below $50M, a few strong people can carry the company on effort alone. Past it, the business needs systems. Releases need a process. Revenue needs a forecast that holds. The board wants the same numbers every month.
The leaders who got you here may not be the ones who get you to $200M. That's not a knock on them. It's a different job, and some people want it while others don't.
We help you decide which job you're hiring for before we search. A CTO and a VP Engineering solve different problems. Hiring the wrong one costs a year.
What do technology leaders earn?
The BLS reports a 2025 median pay of $175,140 for computer and information systems managers, with 16% job growth projected from 2025 to 2035. Executives at a growth-stage software company usually earn more, and equity often matters more than base pay. We set the range with you before outreach starts.
How do you assess a technology executive?
Titles in software mean very little on their own. A VP at one company runs four people. At another, they run four hundred.
So we ask for evidence. What did they ship, how big was the team, what broke and how did they fix it? We talk to the people who worked for them, not only the names they give us.
How does a Steward Well search run?
- Discovery. A partner meets the owner, the board or sponsor, and the team the leader will inherit.
- A written success profile. What this person must have done by month twelve, agreed before we call anyone.
- An original market map. Built for your seat, not pulled from a stack of resumes.
- A calibrated shortlist in 21 days. Qualified, interested and assessed against the profile.
- Scored interviews, deep references and offer support. The search closes in 45 to 90 days.
- Twelve months of check-ins, backed by a written 12-month guarantee.
A partner runs every step. You never get handed to a junior team after the pitch. See the full approach.
Questions buyers ask first
Do you only search for engineering leaders?
No. We also search for revenue leaders and SaaS CFOs. Finance is the core of the firm, so the SaaS CFO seat gets the most depth.
Can you run a confidential search to replace a sitting executive?
Yes. We agree the outreach story before anyone is called, and we share only what a candidate needs at each stage.
Do you work with venture-backed or PE-backed software companies?
Both. Sponsor-backed software companies often need a leader who has worked inside a hold period. See the private equity practice.
How long does a technology search take?
We commit in writing to a calibrated shortlist in 21 days and a completed search in 45 to 90 days.
See where your search stands before it starts.
The readiness diagnostic takes two minutes. It shows the gaps that slow a search down. When you're ready, a partner takes the first call.