This is important to establish expectations on both sides of the role. So let’s start with breaking down what an interim CTO is and why a startup would need one in place of a business-focused CTO. While this role is still not a common one, it is fast becoming popular in the startup world.

Finding the right fit is crucial when hiring a CTO consultant, virtual CTO, CTO on demand, or outsourcing partner. The right fit will depend on the specific needs of your business, the skills and experience required for the role, and the cultural fit. By hiring a CTO https://globalcloudteam.com/ without hiring a CTO, businesses can still have access to the technical leadership and expertise they need to succeed without the long-term commitment of full-time hire. A CTO is a C-suite position that involves taking care of the technological needs of the company.

Understanding the KPIs for Tracking Team Performance

The first one ensures that the remaining two work cordially sans any issues. However, you will have to determine how to effectively work with the remote CTO and handle cultural barriers. But CTO outsourcing is an option that shouldn’t be avoided, especially if you’re a start-up. For instance, roles of a cto if you’re just starting your company using minimal funding, you will likely want someone more affordable. Typically, the annual salary of a CTO ranges between $34,000 and $334,000. Hence, it is preferable to wait till your start-up has established itself before you hire a CTO.

• When you and your co founder need to hire a CTO, choosing a freelancer CTO can be a good option, especially for smaller companies.
• If the goals differ, there’s a high possibility that significant misunderstandings will crop up later.
• During the early stages of some startups, this is the person who makes the first version of the software solution.
• The right time to bring on a CTO is when it’s technically and economically justified.
• And that might lead to major delays, work disruption, or even product failure.

Toptal’s developers and architects have been both very professional and easy to work with. The solution they produced was fairly priced and top quality, reducing our time to launch. Ken is a highly skilled mobile app developer and software engineer with over twenty years of experience. He has been running a small company that develops and sells mobile apps, and he is especially good at Python, Objective-C, Android, and Swift. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Johns Hopkins University.

People & Culture

You will not be saving your precious time if you recruit the wrong individual. Making a wrong hiring or CTO outsourcing decision will not only be a waste of your time but also your money and efforts. Hence, create a proper list of candidates so you can compare them to find the perfect fit. The price for hiring the wrong CTO, especially for an important position, could be extensive.

But you should remember that working with a CTO requires a long-term perspective and full commitment, while freelancers may leave without warning or work on several projects simultaneously. If you are a tech startup and your product is an IT solution, a CTO is most likely already a part of your team and one of your co-founders. Verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate with global teams and clients. At least 5 years of experience in a managerial/leadership position. Set out objectives and a plan for the growth and development of the company with respect to technology.

Option 3. Outsourcing

Gartner, there exist four major types of CTO personas you should know about. These personas will further help you understand what role the CTO plays in a company and how to hire a CTO that aligns with your vision. The product’s architecture is similar to a skeleton that’ll be layered further. Software products generally have a business side, a developer’s side, and a user’s side.

Toptal is a marketplace for top interim CTOs and part-time CTOs. • 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.

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

This is one of the executives involved in both technology and business. At any point in your business life cycle, the CTO’s major objective is to make sure your business needs are reflected in your product through the best possible use of technology. Richard Rozsa offers a vision of data as a self formatting entity.

A good CTO can quickly bring great technical staff on board at a later stage, saving recruitment costs. A Toptal director of engineering will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics. Toptal makes finding a candidate extremely easy and gives you peace-of-mind that they have the skills to deliver.

Who is a True Blue Leader? | The Multifaceted Roles of Leadership

A CTO can help you make strategic business and technical decisions to attract more funds, attention, and users to your product. The cost of making a bad hire, especially for a key position, can be enormous. As a CTO has a seat at the board table, they should be able to effectively manage and engage at a stakeholder level and communicate with their team. To hire the right person for the CTO position, you should know what actually makes a candidate perfect for this job. Below, you can see the most prominent qualities to look for when hiring a CTO. Toptal’s ability to rapidly match our project with the best developers was just superb.