I started fraction.work earlier this summer, based on my experiences as a Fractional Software Developer earlier in my career, and my experience hiring fractional developers while running HiddenLevers.

Those experiences guide me to believe that there’s a huge market for long-term, part-time Software Development work (that’s how I define “fractional” software development). We’ve seen fractional CFOs, CMOs, and GCs, but the adoption of this approach has been much slower at the individual contributor level and in particular in technology roles.

This is ironic because software development is more amenable to remote work than any other role – witness the explosive wave of offshore and nearshore development since the pandemic normalized remote work! Employers oddly feel more comfortable working with someone who half a world away and who may not grasp nuances of cultural difference, than working with someone in the US who is available 30 hours a week?

I know this isn’t really true – but many companies have a mental blog when it comes to part-time work. As part of normalizing how effective it can be, I detailed the experience on the fraction.work blog – I hope you’ll follow the story there!