You don't need a full-time CTO.You need senior judgment.
Technology, product and AI create competitive advantage when the right decisions are made at the right time. Northbound puts 20 years of executive experience next to the founder — without the cost, complexity or commitment of hiring a full-time executive.
- years in tech
- 20
- enterprise leaders
- 10+
- mobile apps in production
- 12
- applied to business
- AI
Tech leadership at
The problem is rarely technology.
Most growth problems are born from bad decisions. Picking the wrong architecture. Picking the wrong vendor. Prioritizing the wrong product. Investing in AI without return. Hiring too early. Hiring too late. Technology is usually not the problem. Judgment is.
Less hype.
More decision.
Less tooling.
More direction.
Less vendor.
More clarity.
Experience built in real operations.
For nearly two decades, Rafael Torres led technology, product, data and digital platforms at some of Brazil's largest retail and digital commerce operations.
He worked at companies such as Buscapé, Polishop, C&A, Lojas Renner, Salesforce, Grupo Boticário and Grupo Azzas (Reserva, Farm, Animale, Hering and other brands).
Throughout his career he was responsible for initiatives involving:
- Apps representing more than 90% of digital traffic
- Data and analytics platforms
- AI strategy applied to the business
- Cross-functional product and engineering teams
- Digital operations with billions in GMV
- Scale architectures for major national brands
Today he helps founders and companies make better decisions in technology, product and AI without having to hire a full-time CTO.
- 20 years in the field
- 10+ enterprise companies
- Billion-real digital operations
- Cross-functional teams
- 12 mobile apps in production
- AI applied to real businesses
Founders, CEOs and leaders who've worked with Rafael.
"Rafael brings clarity where most bring more tooling. In a few weeks we re-prioritized, cut cost and started shipping again."
"Peer-level conversation with the board. Knows when to recommend AI — and when to hold back to not burn money."
"The difference between hourly consulting and an actual strategic partner. Changed the way we make technical decisions."
"Enterprise repertoire applied to our size. We avoided at least two architecture choices that would have cost dearly."
"Direct, practical and deep. Each conversation ends with a decision made, not another meeting scheduled."
"Brought method to our data and AI operation. Today we run with governance and measurable ROI."
"Rafael brings clarity where most bring more tooling. In a few weeks we re-prioritized, cut cost and started shipping again."
"Peer-level conversation with the board. Knows when to recommend AI — and when to hold back to not burn money."
"The difference between hourly consulting and an actual strategic partner. Changed the way we make technical decisions."
"Enterprise repertoire applied to our size. We avoided at least two architecture choices that would have cost dearly."
"Direct, practical and deep. Each conversation ends with a decision made, not another meeting scheduled."
"Brought method to our data and AI operation. Today we run with governance and measurable ROI."
The decisions that cost the most.
Not a service catalog. The points where a wrong decision compromises months of operation — and where senior judgment lowers the cost of the mistake.
Architecture
When to rebuild. When not to rebuild.
AI
Where there is ROI. Where there is distraction.
Product
What ships now. What waits.
Vendors
Who to hire. Who to avoid.
Teams
When to scale. When to wait.
Investments
Where to put energy, money and focus.
This is not hourly consulting.
You're not paying for meetings. You're paying for repertoire — for someone who has seen the same problems across multiple contexts and can lower the cost of wrong decisions.
Recurring access to senior judgment, at the cadence your operation needs.
No hidden annual contract. No consultant hours. Access, cadence and availability.
Compass
Direction for when you need to stop and decide well.
- Direct access to the founder
- Monthly cadence
- Async channel between calls
- Prioritization of the decisions that matter
North
The cadence of someone deciding with you, week after week.
- Recurring access, high availability
- Biweekly cadence
- Support on critical decisions mid-month
- Continuous reading of tech, product and AI
Strategic
For operations that need executive judgment next to the founder.
- Dedicated availability
- Weekly cadence
- Real-time presence on critical decisions
- Continuous support on thesis and direction
Every plan starts with a complimentary strategic diagnosis.
Where Northbound fits.
Growing operation without a stack that scales
Replace spreadsheets and fragile integrations with a stack that holds multi-unit.
Scaling delivery without becoming a chaotic factory
Standards, internal platform and packaged offer — margin grows back.
Roadmap, architecture and AI in the product
Release cadence, architecture decisions and where to embed AI with ROI.
Entering AI without an endless pilot project
AI roadmap from diagnosis to deployment, with governance.
Platform, data and performance under control
Unit cost, conversion and stability during peak campaigns.
Common questions.
“Companies rarely break for lack of technology. They usually break from a sequence of wrong decisions. Book a call and find out which decisions deserve your attention now.”