The CTO journey: 5 Things I have learnt
I remember hearing a quote from Herb Cohen, the respected US negotiator. It went something like "I never get called when everything is going well, I dunno who get those calls, but it ain't me !". This is true of many startup CTO's. Usually there is some failed outsourced relationship, or a technical co-founder who takes the product to a point and then gets stuck. I have received many calls over the years and the problems are usually similar. This was indeed the case at my current position. Here are some things I have learnt .... Focus on the core product: There will be a lot of noise around the product, features that are not essential, wish lists, dreams. Stick to the basics ! Unless you get the fundamentals sorted out there is no future for the product. This requires single-mindedness, and possible a few "debates", the founders will want to get as many features in the product as possible. Don't give in ! The main role initially is knowing what ...