Technical leadership review

"We need a CTO" is one of the most expensive sentences a growing company can say, because it is usually true and usually vague. There are at least three different jobs behind the title, and hiring for the wrong one costs a year and a lot of money. This review works out which job your company needs now, and the right way to fill it.

Who it is for

Founders, chief executives and boards of technology and product companies. Typical moments: the founder is still making every technical decision and it has started to show; you are about to hire a CTO and are not sure what the job actually is; your technical lead was right for the last stage and you are not sure about the next; or an investor or lender has asked who owns technology risk, and the answer was uncomfortable.

What it answers

Which job you need: a systems architect, a scaling leader or a strategic CTO, depending on your stage and what the next twelve months demand. How to fill it: interim, permanent, fractional, or not yet. What has to be true first, starting with whether there is a business and product strategy for the new leader to deliver. A strong hire into a company with no strategy is still a weak hire.

How it works

Three to four days of my time over two to three weeks, including the write-up. Conversations with the founder or chief executive, the current technical lead, one or two engineers, and a board member or investor. A look at how technical decisions are made today, and at the technical bets the plan depends on over the next twelve months. Then a written report and a session with the board or founders.

What you get

A clear definition of the role, in business terms. A recommendation on how to fill it, with the reasons. A brief you can use for a search or for an interim. The risks to manage until the role is filled. Fixed in scope and price, agreed before we start.

Not sure yet?

Start with the free Technical Leadership Check, which takes about ten minutes. For the thinking behind it, read Not all CTOs are created equal, and for what an interim engagement looks like, the interim CTO case study.

Afterwards

If the answer is interim or fractional technical leadership, I can do that role, or help you find and brief the right person. If the answer is a permanent hire, I can help you assess the candidates. If the answer is "not yet", the report says what would change it. There is no obligation.