The Ability of a Good CTO
It's no secret that finding good software developers is not easy. But finding a good Chief Technology Officer is a whole new challenge. As the leader focused on the company's science and technology problems, soft skills and leadership are even more important than what is expected of the other developers. From a technical standpoint, the CTO must have a holistic understanding of the entire application in order to make the right short- and long-term architectural decisions. Despite the importance of these qualities in a CTO, this article will focus on a skill that is very often overlooked: Knowing what not to develop, and what is better not to spend time on.
In a word: ocus.
To understand why exactly this skill is so important for a CTO, we will reflect on why focus is important for a company in general:
In the early stages of a startup, one of the biggest threats is being pulled in too many directions. Time and money are finite resources and the success of the company is highly dependent on how those resources are allocated.
If every startup that has ever existed listed its challenges, I bet that lack of ideas is not a problem. The problem is always the opposite. If you spend time building something that doesn't directly solve your customer's problem, it can kill your company.
The CEO has the responsibility to steer the team in the right direction, but in many ways is in a difficult position. He must constantly sell himself to investors, customers and prospective employees. This comes with constant discussion and feedback.
The CTO on the other hand, is able to have more time to himself in front of the computer or with the core team. He is protected in many ways. A good CTO recognizes this, appreciates the work the CEO is doing, and returns equally important value to the company through passion and focus.
Knowing when to say "no" and how to say "no" are skills that are invaluable to a startup.
There is one more reason why the CTO should act as the team's "chief officer of focus."
Lack of team leadership and focus usually leads to vague functional descriptions or, worse, a multitude of unrelated functions trying to solve multiple problems at once. There aren't many things more specific than writing code. So if a product feature/idea is too vague, the CTO should recognize it immediately if it's unclear how to even start building it.
A good CTO brings these concerns to the team early and is constantly trying to clear up "ambiguities." Every developer knows that writing code that never gets used sucks.
Just as a CEO can inspire buyers and evangelists to join the startup, a good CTO can attract developers who are not only technically strong, but also excited about constantly improving the way the product solves the customer or end user's problem. Focus and knowing when to say "no" have an exponential effect as this approach spills over to the entire development team.
The importance of focus is abundantly clear for a CTO, in my experience with my first startup. After three years of ups and downs, the startup closed and I reflected on how much time we spent on things that ultimately did not ensure the longevity of the business. After learning that the hard way, I developed the ability to see what was important and focus on that.
It's the CTO who can be the guiding voice of reason, acting as the Jedi of focus for your startup.
