How to Hire a CTO: An In-Depth Guide for Success Non-Tech Founders

Usually startups face a number of challenges in hiring for top level posts like CTO due to various reasons. We have discussed in this guide in detail about all the minute process of hiring a CTO and also the alternatives that you can follow if you are not able to hire a CTO. A CTO’s leadership experience is as important as hard skills and broad technical knowledge. For example, you don’t expect a CTO to code but to know how to make your team write beautiful, easy-to-support code based on modern technologies that fit the product’s objectives. You can test initial hypotheses, launch an MVP, collect metrics, and experience a couple of pivots without technical expertise on board.

NewsletterGet forward-thinking digital insights shaping the tech industry in your Inbox. Today I’m going to answer a question from Shirley, the co-founder of a legal tech startup. Shirley has already developed the first version of her platform with an outsourced company.

Hire First-Class Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

The ambitious and skilful CTO for a new startup will likely be there. Presenting the company at technical events, being fully responsible for its image and reputation in technical terms. As the digital landscape rapidly evolves, web development continues to be a vital component of building and maintaining a successful online presence…. The cost of hiring a senior CTO ranges from $100k to $250, depending on the location, experience, and cooperation model.

You’ve got your business acumen tight, your technical leader is on board, and you’re ready for a steady stream of potential candidates. At Steelkiwi, a technical leader takes a major share of the responsibilities that would be handed to a CTO. They’re the first to hear your app idea and decide on the software architecture. They also supervise the team, monitor product development, and more.

Right Personality

Ukrainian-based software development agencies also offer a broad range of services other than CTO-on-demand, and core coding process. Considering the pros and cons elucidated in the four options above, there’s no doubt that outsourcing from a reputable software development agency offers the best cost-quality ratio. Usually, startups can’t afford to hire a qualified chief technology officer. Technical directors at a startup These are technical executives in charge of all development and maintenance practices in mid-stage startups. Net Solutions is a strategic design & build consultancy that unites creative design thinking with agile software development under one expert roof. Founded in 2000, we create award-winning transformative digital products & platforms for startups and enterprises worldwide.

• Make sure to set clear expectations and goals for the consultant and establish a clear timeline for the project.
• At Esteemed, we’ve cultivated a community of fractional CTOs who are available, on-demand, to help your business scale.
• Kubernetes, mobile app development, QA automation, real-time monitoring—all of these functions constantly have new tools and a better, faster, cheaper way of getting the same job done.
• In other words, a CTO is a person who brings the best of software development teams and makes sure your business needs are reflected in your product by making the best use of technology.
• In order to keep staff productive, a CTO continuously monitors performance.
• If the technologies or practices you’re currently using affect productivity, it’s time to upgrade.
• It is about scaling up your development efforts from ground zero, and without the right amount of experience, things can fall apart quickly.

There are many aspects of potential candidates that can be a deciding factor about who to hire. Employers may consider the candidates’ years of experience, the fields they’ve worked in and who fits in better with the current staff. Large companies and corporations, however, typically have a full-time employee in their CTO position.

What are the Major Duties and Responsibilities of a CTO?

• The business enabler ensures that risks are assessed, that technology performs well and that it is aligned with business goals. Thus, the CTO’s persona also leads and manages the software development team, ensuring that collaboration is fruitful and leads to goal achievement. While hiring an interim CTO is not a trivial task, it is not overly complicated either.

A junior CTO is ideal for minimalist projects and a team of less than ten technical experts. Startups with highly complex projects and a robust team of 50+ developers require a senior CTO. Part-time consultant CTOs are professional tech executives working remotely roles of a cto or on-site for a stipulated time, usually less than a full-time employee, to achieve a specified project. This hiring model is best for companies that want a cost-effective yet flexible means of hiring CTO without the cons of freelance-as-a-service.

C-Suite Tech Hiring: A Closer Look

All of these things can be hard to find in one person, however EliteBrains offers steps and a network that can help you to find the right candidates that meet the needs of you and your company. In some cases, you can get away with having a technical advisor and not hiring a CTO. One company I advise has two co-founders who are entrepreneurs. They hired a great offshore software engineering team to code their MVP. They are happy with the offshore team’s results but can’t read code themselves. They thought they needed a CTO, but we found a technical advisor instead.

We have a long lasting belief in the power of data analytics in creating unmatchable results, thus, we apply our analytical models on our hiring process same as we do in our business model. At SupportFinity, we streamlined our processes and in-house standards to make sure of having one of the top world-class hiring processes. The magic mix of skills ingredients is what separates a great hire from a not-so-good one. So you get one of the best recruitment processes to hire a Chief Technology Officer . Now that you have a clear path for figuring out the kind of person you need to round out your team, it’s time to do the work.

On-Demand Talent

Moreover, you won’t have to interview people who don’t have the right expertise in your sector. For a new company venturing into the software development industry, handling all the technical aspects can become challenging. It’s about scaling your development effort from scratch, and without enough experience, things could fall apart quite quickly. https://globalcloudteam.com/ Plus, the burn rate will rise exponentially if your product doesn’t meet customer demands. If you are looking for a CTO to guide your development process, Orangesoft is ready to help you elaborate your technical vision. We are a mature IT company with 12 years in custom software development and a cross-functional team of vetted tech experts.