Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Signal CTO website at signalcto.com and any content, tools, or resources we make available through it (together, the "Site"). The Site is operated by Signal CTO ("Signal CTO," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using the Site, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

1. Who we are

Signal CTO is a fractional technology-leadership practice. The Site is an informational and marketing website: it describes our services, publishes free educational content, and lets you contact us or subscribe to our newsletter. Using the Site does not by itself create a client, advisory, or other professional relationship with us.

2. Informational content, not professional advice

The content on the Site — including the Founder's Field Guide, The Signal, and any frameworks, checklists, or opinions — is provided for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute engineering, security, legal, financial, tax, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for a tailored professional assessment of your specific situation. You are responsible for any decisions you make based on it. If you need advice specific to your circumstances, engage us or another qualified professional directly.

3. Engagements are governed by a separate agreement

Any paid engagement with Signal CTO — advisory, fractional CTO, diagnostic, or otherwise — is governed by a separate written agreement (such as a statement of work or master services agreement) executed between you and us. Those documents, not these Terms, set out the scope, fees, deliverables, confidentiality, and other terms of the engagement. Nothing on the Site, including any pricing shown, is an offer capable of acceptance or a binding quote; all pricing is indicative and subject to a written proposal.

4. The Technical Health Check

If you request a free Technical Health Check, you agree to provide only information and access you are authorized to share, and you confirm you have the right to grant us access to any code, systems, or materials you send us. The resulting report is provided "as is" for your internal use. Details of confidentiality, access, and deletion for a Health Check are set out when the review begins.

5. Acceptable use

When using the Site, you agree not to:

• use it for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms;
• submit false, misleading, or third-party personal information without authorization;
• attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Site, its servers, or related systems;
• interfere with or disrupt the Site, including through automated scraping that degrades service, denial-of-service activity, or the introduction of malicious code;
• misuse our contact or newsletter forms to send spam, advertising, or unsolicited communications.

6. Intellectual property

The Site and its content — text, articles, graphics, logos, the Signal CTO name and mark, and the design and arrangement of the Site — are owned by Signal CTO or its licensors and are protected by intellectual-property laws. You may read, share, and quote our published articles for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the source. You may not otherwise copy, republish, sell, or create derivative works from the Site without our prior written permission.

7. Third-party links and services

The Site may link to or embed third-party websites and services (for example, LinkedIn or a scheduling tool). We do not control those services and are not responsible for their content, practices, or availability. Your use of them is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.

8. Newsletter and communications

If you subscribe to The Signal, you consent to receive periodic emails from us. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email or by contacting us. If you submit a contact or Health Check request, you agree that we may reply to you about it.

9. Disclaimer of warranties

The Site is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free of harmful components, or that any information on it is complete, accurate, or current.

10. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Signal CTO and its founders, employees, and contractors will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising out of or relating to your use of — or inability to use — the Site, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the Site is limited to one hundred U.S. dollars (US$100). This section does not limit liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law, and it does not apply to obligations under a separate signed engagement agreement, which contains its own liability terms.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Signal CTO and its founders, employees, and contractors from any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your misuse of the Site or your violation of these Terms.

12. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date above. Your continued use of the Site after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

13. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Ohio, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. You agree that the state and federal courts located in Ohio have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Site.

14. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email us at [email protected].