Ignoring all the indicators that's been mentioned (acing all interviews, right pedigree, etc.) - Solid results too show - Fantastic references I know a lot o

Ignoring all the indicators that's been mentioned (acing all interviews, right pedigree, etc.) - Solid results too show - Fantastic references I know a lot of younger guys have these pipe dreams of sacrificing their youth, going to the best university, studying years for interviews, and looking / being the "perfect" candidate come interview time, without actually having built anything of substance. Sure - you will probably land some sweet positions, but there's no way in hell you'll get hired as a CTO without anything real to show - unless it's a 3-piece student startup. Yes, there are exceptions. There are young people that land very nice positions, but they're almost always both smart and experienced. I think the roadmap look pretty boring, but it's what it is. Read, build, analyze, and understand. Have vision, and get good. If someones gonna hire you to design / build / develop their product, then you need to be able to lead and deliver. Hard work, experience, and good networking skills.