So it's basically a high end contract with a chance to go full-time?
If that's the case, I'd go $20k-$30k /month as a good starting rate for an executive level technical contractor.
If that's the case, I'd go $20k-$30k /month as a good starting rate for an executive level technical contractor.
EDIT: I get that people can rationalize that amount, but are people you know of actually getting it. I, for one, would have a very, very hard time paying someone $60k in cash for two months of early stage "CTO" work (and a very, very easy time taking it). But I'm more interested in the facts: are people actually paying short term contrators at early stage startups $20k-30k/month?
For a CTO-level position, at a startup that's raised a Series A? You bet I'd want that much money. Assuming a typical start-up level workload, that works out to somewhere around $80 and $120 an hour, which is pretty reasonable for CTO-level talent, considering the higher tax burden and the need to secure your own health insurance.
EDIT: Yes, certain (funded and/or profitable) startups will pay this much (or the equivalent in salary and benefits) for a talented CTO. Note that this implies actual CTO-level work and not "oh, I'm just going to call my first developer hire the CTO to flatter his ego because he's the only technical guy on staff." (That sort of title inflation you should run from - it's just going to cause HR trouble when the company grows and needs a real CTO, and it's usually offered in lieu of an appropriate salary.) If you're putting "CTO" in quotes, you need to hire a developer, not a CTO.