Hi there 👋 I'm Kristen. I'm a software engineer and people leader.
As a consultant, I specialize in helping small businesses and early-stage startups to automate their operations, leverage powerful software products and low-code tools, and build prototypes of new products. My work frees up business owners and startup founders to focus on the big picture. Think: "CTO" or "Founding Engineer" on an as-needed basis. I'm also available for 1:1 coaching.
Fill out this form to request a free consultation or reach out at kristen@kairoiconsulting.com.
Services
Software Development
- I need a software engineer to build custom internal tools and scripts.
- I want to leverage low-code tools, SaaS products, and vibe coding. I need someone with software skills to help me get started and/or keep the complexity under control.
- I have a vision for a product or feature. I need someone to help me build an MVP.
- I need to temporarily increase the size of my engineering team by embedding contractors on the team.
- I'm looking for an expert in a specific language or framework.
- I need a frontend expert to implement pixel-perfect user-facing designs and complex animations.
- I need a software engineer to build a native iOS or Android application.
Fractional Leadership & Consulting
- My project or company is early-days. I need a thought partner for product & technology problems.
- My engineering team is short on people managers. We need someone to do coaching 1:1s with engineers. We need help running hiring and designing interviews.
- My engineering team's structure and culture is broken. I need a thought partner for organizational and cultural problems.
- I need specific technical guidance related to crypto, infrastructure, security.
- My userbase is growing! My technical systems are breaking down and I need guidance on how to scale them.
Coaching
- I need someone to help me through my job search: resume review, practice interviews, opportunity evaluation.
- I want to think big about my career, understand what motivates me at work, workshop difficult conversations, and get feedback from someone who is invested in my success.
- I'm spending more and more time building a side project. I need someone to provide code review, guidance, feedback, and accountability.
- I need someone to teach me how to code or tutor me on specific topics in software engineering.
- I need someone to help me get a FAANG job.
Experience & Vision
I caught the product development bug back in 2015 during a capstone course at MIT: Product Engineering Processes. I've spent the decade since then building products, deepening my technical skills, growing as a leader & coach, and continously revisting the very same themes from that capstone class: design thinking, iterative development, cross-functional collaboration, creativity.
I've spent about half of my career in leadership roles. Most notably, I led engineering at Brilliant where I grew the department to 30+ contributors and sat on the executive team.
As for my experience as a consultant/contractor, past engagements include: building a website for a local business, automating back-of-house operations for a seed-stage startup, creating interactive visualizations for a graduate-level course at MIT, and more.
What is kairoi?
I learned about the concept of kairos (plural: kairoi), meaning a critical or opportune moment for action, while reading Jenny Odell's book Saving Time. It stuck with me and came to mind again when reflecting on what sort of consulting business I wanted to build.
My goal here is not to grow a huge team or convince tons of folks to pay for my services. Rather, my intention is to build relationships with startups, small businesses, and individuals, and collaborate during critical moments in their growth journeys - moments that present a unique opportunity for my skillset to advance their goals.
If the moment is not right for me to have an outsized impact on your business, then I will do my best to help you find the person who can. Let's get to know each other!
Rates
All rates are determined individually based on the details explored in the free consultation. That said, you can think of $200/hr as a baseline rate for most projects.
Fry
This is Fry.
Fry is my 8lb chihuahua mix and closest collaborator.
Fry contributes to Kairoi Consulting through his work in Crumb Management, Security Operations, and Radiant Heating.
Fry joined my professional network by way of Muttville.
