At Manchester Digital, we like to interview our members to find out a bit more about what they do and their work in the Greater Manchester digital and technology sphere. This week, we're speaking with Founder and Managing Director, Tim Ng from Scryla.
Please introduce yourselves…
At Scryla, we help tech startups and SMEs overcome the leadership gap between business and technology.
Many early-stage businesses struggle because they only have developers but no strategic tech leadership. Without a CTO, decisions are made reactively, delivery slows down, costs spiral, and there’s no clear roadmap for scale.
That’s where we come in.
We provide fractional CTO services and strategic technology advisory—helping startups stop firefighting and start scaling. Our focus is on faster delivery, smarter technology decisions, and clear ROI—without the overhead of a full-time CTO.
We recently launched Novidian, a new service designed to give startups on-demand access to a fractional CTO by the hour—ensuring that all startups, regardless of size, can access high-quality technology advice at the right stage of growth.
Can you provide an overview of Scryla's core services and how they cater to tech startups and SMEs?
The biggest challenge for most startups isn’t the lack of technology—it’s the lack of strategic leadership to guide technology decisions.
Without a CTO or experienced leadership:
🚨 Developers build but don’t strategise—leading to slow, unfocused development.
🚨 Tech stacks grow chaotically—causing scalability problems later.
🚨 Costs spiral out of control—without clear ROI.
🚨 Business teams struggle with visibility—because there’s no clear roadmap.
We help startups fix these problems before they derail growth. Our services include:
- Fractional CTO Services – Bringing senior technology leadership without the full-time cost. We define the tech roadmap, improve delivery, and ensure scalability.
- Technology Strategy & Roadmaps – Aligning technology decisions to business goals to ensure ROI and future-proof growth.
- Tech Due Diligence & Investor Support – Helping startups prepare for investment rounds by ensuring their technology stack and strategy hold up under scrutiny.
- Process Optimisation & Delivery Acceleration – If your team is building too slowly, we identify blockers, streamline workflows, and speed up time-to-market.
- Business Systems Integration – Ensuring sales, operations, and finance teams have the right data and workflows to scale smoothly.
What distinguishes Scryla's approach to digital transformation from other consultancies in the industry?
Most consultancies come from an enterprise background, which means:
❌ They use big, expensive frameworks that don’t fit startups.
❌ They over-engineer solutions, creating complexity without ROI.
❌ They lack hands-on startup experience—so their advice isn’t practical.
Scryla is built for startups.
✅ We focus on companies without a CTO – We know how to guide teams that only have developers but no strategic leadership.
✅ No rigid playbooks – Every startup is unique, so we create tailored strategies, not generic solutions.
✅ Faster, Leaner, More Impactful – We prioritise quick, high-impact wins over long-winded transformation projects.
✅ We work with investors – Helping startups align tech with funding milestones to secure investment.
We don’t just talk strategy—we make sure things get built faster, smarter, and with clear ROI.
Could you share some examples of how Scryla has successfully enhanced digital operations for its clients?
We’ve worked with a range of startups and SMEs to optimise their digital infrastructure. Some key success stories include:
Advisor to the Board of Saas Platform
Identified and warned the Board of the potential risks in the team and architecture structure and was asked to follow through with a proposal. Resulted in guiding the successful restructuring and improved the technology department, delivered greater visibility and consistency in a previously failing area saving the business US$1.2 in the year
Tech Stack Review & CTO Advisory for a Startup
- Provided a review of optimising the technology strategy and was the asked to support the implementation of the recommendations saving the company a US$1m a month.
- Identified an alternative way forward which delivered significant outcome in 12 months rather the originally predicted 36-month frame.
- Delivered greater investor confidence supporting ongoing investment in the business.
CTO Advisor to Digital Health Platform
- Delivered the governance and operational structures necessary for launch.
- Led the creation of the UK's first digital pharmacy and genomics platform which proved to be a sector disruptor.
- Aligned the technology strategy to the business goals and created the technology and operational teams which helped increase the B2B client base.
Advisor to Agency building internal tooling and platform
- Helped the non-technical MD appreciate the complexity technology systems to support the company’s unique business goals and the risk management around GDPR, cyber and regulatory environment of their clients.
- Coached the Senior Leadership Team, establishing clear processes and organisational structure, resulting in a well-defined strategy and a focused roadmap to drive sustainable growth
- Created the environment enabling correct strategic decision making and building investor confidence in the structure created.
Investor-Ready Tech Due Diligence
A startup seeking investment had a tech stack full of scalability issues, risking their valuation.
We identified red flags, optimised their architecture, and coached them on how to present their tech strategy to investors.
Every startup is different, but the problems are always the same—slow delivery, poor scalability, and no clear roadmap. We fix that.
How does Scryla tailor its CTO services to meet the specific needs and budgets of different clients?
Startups don’t need full-time CTOs from day one—but they do need access to experienced leadership. That’s why we offer flexible, scalable services that fit different needs. We understand that startups and SMEs have limited budgets but still need top-tier technology expertise. That’s why our fractional CTO services are flexible and scalable, tailored to each business’s stage of growth.
- Advisory-Only Model – For early-stage startups that need occasional guidance but can’t afford a full-time CTO.
- Part-Time CTO Engagement – A cost-effective solution for businesses that need regular strategy input but not a full-time hire.
- Project-Based CTO Support – For businesses looking to implement specific technology initiatives, such as CRM selection, system integration, or AI-driven solutions.
Our approach ensures that businesses get the right level of expertise without unnecessary overheads.
What is the process for a company to engage with Scryla, and what can clients expect during the initial stages of collaboration?
We keep it simple - because startups don’t have time for long-winded consultancy processes.
- Discovery Call – We discuss where you’re struggling and what’s slowing you down.
- Rapid Tech Assessment – We identify the biggest blockers and map out quick wins.
- High-Impact Execution – We focus on immediate fixes first to accelerate progress.
- Long-Term Strategy – We help you align technology with business growth for the next stage.
We focus on fast, impactful improvements—because businesses who engage with us don’t have time to waste.
What are the signs a startup needs a fractional CTO?
Many founders delay bringing in tech leadership until things start breaking—by then, it's already costing them time, money, and missed opportunities. Some common red flags that indicate you need a fractional CTO now:
- Your product roadmap keeps shifting - Features take too long, and deadlines aren’t met.
- You have developers, but no strategy - Things get built but does not always match what you want or need, no one is making long-term technology decisions.
- Investors are questioning your tech scalability - They’re worried about tech debt, product delays, or how you’ll handle scale.
- You’re spending too much on tech with no clear ROI - High costs but no measurable business impact. Features being worked on have no immediate or discernible impact on KPIs
- You’re making critical hires (or vendor choices) blindly - Without knowledge and experience, it’s easy to choose the wrong tools or team structure.
- Lack of governance – low or no visibility on what the teams are working on, inconsistent quality and delivery.
Thank you Tim! Learn more about Scryla here.
