HowToCTO @HowToCto

Getting your developers/engineers to (occasionally) interact directly with customers is hugely beneficial. Developers can identify quick wins faster than anyone, and letting them see how "real" people use the software is irreplaceable knowledge. #HowToCTO #SoftwareEngineering

Learning is part of the work, so make sure you build learning time into the schedule for developers. One hour a sprint is time very well spent! #DeveloperExperience #SoftwareEngineering #HowToCTO

Culture is king: 95% of employees value the culture more than the remuneration. Making people feel appreciated and giving them challenging and interesting mountains to climb is a key part of your role. #culture #HowToCTO

With permanent remote working you need to work much harder to maintain culture. It's a constant challenge to stay connected, and you need to become the "Chief Energy Officer" to keep everyone energized and motivated. The extra effort is worth it! #HowToCTO #leadershipmindset

Technical people (or any knowledge workers) need time to focus. Context switching is EXPENSIVE, so organise interruptions or necessary meetings in blocks and give your team as much uninterrupted focus time as possible. #HowToCTO #Focus #DoNotDisturb

The best developers probably aren't going on job boards. Your best bet if you're recruiting is to grow and use your network.

As CTO you're only as good as your team. TAKE YOUR TIME when recruiting new people (an extra month finding the right person is time well spent). I recommend multiple interviews, particularly for culture fit, a skill assessment and look for people who are excited about technology.

Tech strategy is like your office wifi password. If it's weak, unclear or not shared enough it either gets taken over, or everyone is left guessing. Developers make hundreds of micro-decisions, and with a clear strategy those decisions are easy and accurate. #Strategy #HowToCTO

Software development velocity is always tricky to measure! It can be a combination of story points, submitted changes or features being shipped. It NEEDS to be combined with how developers feel - if a team is happy and feels more production, they'll BE more productive. #HowToCTO

As a tech leader, communication is everything! Set clear expectations—and then deliver. #Excellence #Communication #HowToCTO

Forge strong connections with stakeholders across the business – it’s too easy to spend all your time with the tech teams, especially as things grow, but make the effort to connect with people on the business side. #Business #TechLeadership #HowToCTO

The bigger your team gets, the more you shift from building tech to building trust and collaboration. #Leadership #ScaleUp #HowToCTO

Being a CTO is about people, not just tech. As your company grows, success depends more and more on relationships than code. #Leadership #CTO #TechLeaders #HowToCTO