AI-Driven Automation Platform
Architected and led the delivery of a privacy-first automation platform, enabling a startup to scale from zero to 1M+ users with minimal operational overhead. Result: 10x faster onboarding, 40% reduction in cloud spend.
Executive Bio
Ivan Smirnov is an executive technologist and founder of Smirnov Labs, serving as a Fractional CTO for high-growth startups and innovation-driven organizations. He specializes in building robust technical foundations, AI-driven automation, and privacy-first cloud infrastructure. Ivan’s pragmatic, systems-thinking approach helps executive teams rapidly scale, navigate technical uncertainty, and unlock new business value.
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Ivan Smirnov is a seasoned executive technologist, Fractional CTO, and founder of Smirnov Labs—a consulting firm focused on helping startups and innovation-led companies build and scale world-class technology. With over 15 years of hands-on experience across cloud infrastructure, AI/automation, embedded systems, and product strategy, Ivan is known for architecting solutions that transform early-stage chaos into scalable, resilient platforms.
Ivan partners directly with founders, executive teams, and technical leadership to deliver clear, actionable strategies—whether that means building privacy-first, self-hosted systems, modernizing cloud architecture, or accelerating go-to-market with AI-driven automation. His work blends deep technical expertise with a pragmatic, business-first mindset, enabling clients to reduce risk, drive growth, and stay ahead of rapid market change.
As a trusted advisor, Ivan has supported startups through critical inflection points: rapid scaling, technical due diligence, product pivots, and M&A readiness. He believes in clean architecture, automation, and user-first design—and enjoys tackling the messy early stages of growth as much as optimizing for long-term sustainability.
When he’s not guiding teams through complex technical challenges, Ivan is an active mentor and contributor to the open-source community, and is continually exploring the frontiers of decentralized systems and agent-based AI.
Ivan partners directly with founders, executive teams, and technical leadership to deliver clear, actionable strategies—whether that means building privacy-first, self-hosted systems, modernizing cloud architecture, or accelerating go-to-market with AI-driven automation. His work blends deep technical expertise with a pragmatic, business-first mindset, enabling clients to reduce risk, drive growth, and stay ahead of rapid market change.
As a trusted advisor, Ivan has supported startups through critical inflection points: rapid scaling, technical due diligence, product pivots, and M&A readiness. He believes in clean architecture, automation, and user-first design—and enjoys tackling the messy early stages of growth as much as optimizing for long-term sustainability.
When he’s not guiding teams through complex technical challenges, Ivan is an active mentor and contributor to the open-source community, and is continually exploring the frontiers of decentralized systems and agent-based AI.
Services & Expertise
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Fractional CTO Leadership
Executive-level technical strategy, team building, and hands-on leadership for startups and growth-stage companies.
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AI & Automation
Design and deployment of AI-driven automation, agent-based systems, and data pipelines to accelerate business outcomes.
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Cloud Architecture
Privacy-first, scalable, and cost-efficient cloud infrastructure—specializing in self-hosted and hybrid solutions.
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Product & Technical Due Diligence
Technical audits, M&A readiness, and roadmap validation for investors and executive teams.
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Embedded & Edge Systems
Design and integration of embedded, IoT, and edge computing solutions for real-world impact.
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Technical Team Scaling
Recruitment, mentorship, and process optimization to build high-performing engineering teams.
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Go-to-Market Acceleration
Rapid prototyping, MVP delivery, and technical enablement for new product launches.
Signature Projects & Case Studies
Cloud Modernization for Growth-Stage SaaS
Redesigned legacy infrastructure for a SaaS company, migrating to a hybrid cloud model with automated CI/CD and zero-downtime deployments. Result: 99.99% uptime, accelerated feature delivery, and successful M&A exit.
Embedded Systems for IoT Startup
Developed secure, scalable firmware and edge analytics for a next-gen IoT device, enabling real-time insights and rapid iteration. Result: 3x faster time-to-market, industry-first privacy guarantees.
Technical Due Diligence for Investors
Conducted technical audits and risk assessments for multiple VC-backed startups, providing actionable recommendations that informed investment and acquisition decisions.
Clients & Testimonials
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“Ivan’s technical leadership was instrumental in helping us scale through a critical growth phase. His systems thinking and pragmatic approach set us up for long-term success.”
“We relied on Ivan for technical due diligence and strategy. His insights were clear, actionable, and always focused on business outcomes.”
Advisory & Engagement Process
- Discovery Call: Understand your goals, challenges, and context.
- Assessment: Rapid technical audit and opportunity mapping.
- Strategy: Actionable roadmap and engagement proposal.
- Execution: Hands-on leadership, advisory, or project delivery.
- Ongoing Support: Continuous improvement, mentorship, and scaling as needed.
Contact / Book a Consultation
Ready to accelerate your technical strategy or need executive-level guidance? Let’s connect.
Advisory Request