Which Lever to Pull: A Simple Decision Framework for Fractional vs Full-Time vs Consultant vs Agency

A founder once asked me, over a long lunch, whether she should hire a fractional CRO, hire a full-time VP of Sales, retain a sales consultant on a project basis, or sign with the agency her board had been recommending.

Building Yourself Out of the Job: The Fractional Exit Nobody Plans

That is not how most fractional engagements end. A more common pattern is the slow fade — fewer meetings, more autonomy for the team, a renewal conversation that drifts past its date, and eventually a polite email about wrapping up.

After the Close: Designing the Handoff That Turns Acquisition Into Loyalty

There's a moment in every deal that almost no one designs. The contract is signed, the sales team rings the bell, and the customer — who has just spent real money on a promise — is quietly passed to whoever happens to handle “onboarding.” That handoff is where loyalty is won or lost, and most companies treat it as an afterthought.

The Ownership Structure Problem - PE-backed and Venture-backed

Private equity firms have stopped debating whether fractional executives belong in their portfolio companies. It is standard practice now. Venture-backed founders, by contrast, still treat the same decision as a step down.

The Cousin Circle: What Family Dynamics Taught Me About Networks, Perspective, and Leadership

Organization, Team, Start-up, SkillsHenning SchwinumAugust 7, 2026cousin, family, dynamics

Is AI Making Us Dumber?

AI engine are, without exaggeration, one of the most remarkable tools I have worked with in my career. But I am concerned that AI is making us dumber.

Show Your Work: How to Prove the ROI of a Fractional Engagement

He liked working with the executive. His team liked working with her. The pipeline had grown. The conversion rate had improved. The forecast was more honest than it had been when she started. What was on the page was a monthly retainer that. He asked, politely, what he was paying for.

Tiered Pricing and the Trap of Quoting a Range

The principle is simple: when you sell less time, you charge a higher rate per hour. When a client commits to more time, the per-hour rate goes down, but the total compensation goes up.

The Rhythm of Karneval: How a Festival Shaped My View on Culture, Energy, and Leadership

Some experiences return every year, familiar yet different, carrying new meaning as you grow. For me, Karneval was exactly that—a recurring moment in time that evolved from pure childhood excitement into something much more nuanced in adulthood.

Leadership, SkillsHenning SchwinumJuly 15, 2026Vendux LLCkarneval, culture, energy, germany

When Cash Isn't the Whole Story: Equity and Alternative Comp in Fractional Work (2)

What he had was a quarter ahead of him that turned on a single, named outcome: launching a new product line into a new region, with a revenue target, by a date already on the board. Would I tie a portion of our fee to whether we hit that target?

Motivation, Recruiting, Start-upHenning SchwinumJuly 10, 2026Vendux LLCcompensation, equity, alternative, bonus, share

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