The Challenge of Becoming a Real CTO

Some people have a clear target when starting their careers. For some developers, it's usually to lead a team or develop their own superstar product, and for others, it may be to become a CTO. If that's your goal or you've already made it this far, congratulations! 

But now the real work begins since being a CTO raises the bar, and you need to now focus on making those high-quality decisions that everyone's expecting of you. 

And to be honest, it can all get quite overwhelming, quite quickly. But hang in there because we're here to show you how to cope with your day-to-day CTO challenges like a rock star. 

So let's dive right in to get a glimpse of a day in the life of a successful CTO.

High-Quality Decision Making

As a CTO, making highly impactful decisions on a daily basis is something you're going to have to get used to. While analytical thinking is what makes a CTO - a CTO, there comes a point when you're going to have to make a call using the 80/20 rule. So, if you are 80% sure, make the decision. 

Next, learn how to actively manage the biggest risks in your line of work. The book "Waltzing with Bears" is a great resource that helps you identify potential risks so you can nip them in the bud. 

Foster Trust

As a confident CTO, you need to create a trust culture and place integrity and trust at the top of your list of values. 

Delegate Effectively

Once you know what you're passionate and skilled at, work on it and delegate the rest to your team. Also, when hiring, search for skills that your existing team doesn't already have to fill these gaps. 

Expectations and Progress

So you know who's your boss, but now it's time to understand who works for you and set out your expectations and measure team progress. 

Provide Timely Feedback

Giving your employees feedback and rewarding them for their diligence and hard work motivates them to become more productive. Another point is that you shouldn’t shy away from firing an employee who’s simply not playing the game. 

Manage Up

What does this even mean? Well, simply put, know who your boss is and what he/she expects of you. Another tip is to communicate timeously with your boss and update them on your progress before they ask. This shows them that you are owning the responsibility of managing up. 

Know when to Code

While knowing how to code makes you a great developer, knowing when to code makes you a great CTO. The key is knowing how much of your time to spend inside the code, plan, and recap. So be proactive and understand why you've made that decision. 

Consider a Tech Partner

Are you often conflicted between focusing on the growing list of critical issues or being a five-star developer? You need a tech partner like NerdCloud, and here's why. 

NerdCloud is more than just another software development company  - they've been there and understand the daily struggles faced by CTOs the world over. 

They have 100+ senior developers covering all modern coding languages, and this eliminates the need for you to draw up contracts or hire employees, for that matter. 

So whether you need help with a couple of UI fixes or want to delegate those pesky secondary tasks, NerdCloud is here to save the day. 

The Verdict

Having a competent tech partner like NerdCloud solves most of your daily CTO challenges. Their team of highly professional senior developers helps you scale up and down as you need while keeping costs low.