3 ms·

> So let me put it plainly: the CTO/VPE/Engineering Director candidate should pass your coding interview. In fact, they should excel. I've interviewed over 300

by mbesto 4y ago

> So let me put it plainly: the CTO/VPE/Engineering Director candidate should pass your coding interview. In fact, they should excel. I've interviewed over 300+ CTOs over the last 8 years. I don't think the author is saying this literally, but i'll bite - no the CTO doesn't need to pass your coding interview. CTOs need two capabilities to excel - technical ones and human resources ones. That's it. No need to get any more specific or broad than that because different levels of companies have different needs. For example, a CTO of a 2-person dev team is also a developer. A CTO of a 500 person engineering team very likely doesn't know that his core infra team just wrote something in Rust and that's totally fine, but they sure as hell should know that they have a core infra team and that they're productive in advancing their core infra.

koffiezet 4y ago
> doesn't know that his core infra team just wrote something in Rust Sorry but that is something he should know. That directly affects technology radar and roadmap, HR and a bunch of other stuff.
dqpb 4y ago
I wouldn't respect a CTO who couldn't pass a technical coding interview.
- bradlys 4y ago
  Are we talking about the same thing? Most are talking about Leetcode - which is a separate skill from the job and requires months of dedicated practice. I haven't seen any engineer managers pass the usual litany of tests that ICs get. (1 LC hard or 2 LC mediums in <40 minutes) Usually they get a very simplistic question or are given enough hints to get through it gracefully (something not afforded to ICs).
dqpb 4y ago
If the CTO isn't a technical domain expert then they are just middle management overhead.
- Spivak 4y ago
  This misunderstands the role of CTO which is to be a single point of responsibility and leadership for all the deliverables in engineering. And a lot of times CTOs are actually CPOs as well meaning they are also the final desk and driving force behind the strategic direction of new development as well. Middle management overhead is real but this isn’t really an example of it — there is always a CTO and a CPO but not always in name. Sometimes they’re technical and in the trenches, other times at small companies it’s the CEO who’s wearing multiple hats.
  - dqpb 4y ago
    Let me guess, CFO's also don't need financial expertise?
    - bluehatbrit 4y ago
      They're not saying they don't need to have technical experience, they're saying they don't need to be a current technical domain expert. Of course they need to understand how software products are created, but they don't need to know to optimise your DB queries. That may not be the case at a small 5 person startup, but at a larger scale with a full division underneath you shouldn't be getting involved in the nitty gritty of why the database fell over. You should be making sure the engineering teams are being given the space to have those discussions, learn from it, and improve. The CFO of a similar sized company isn't sitting down and running payroll. They're talking about strategies to re-organise budgets to enable product or territory expansion. Or they're looking at the decisions leaders of a potential acquisition have made, and whether they stack up to the top level figures. Both roles are fundamentally business and people focused roles. They require the holder to take leadership of a specific area (technical, financial, or what have you) and run it efficiently to server the business goals. That requires you to have a good understanding of the area. The more you have the more likely you are to succeed, but you won't be writing code as a CTO. In the same way the CFO won't be running the tax calculations for payroll that month. Not once you're past 50 or so people in your division.
      - 4y ago
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
tinco 4y ago
That's an awesome amount of interviews. Is there any sort of experience/book/theory you think a CTO should have to excel at the job (besides the technical and hr skills)? One thing I think I'm struggling with is competing for financial resources with the CEO. It's hard to convince the team we are desperately underfunded when on the surface it looks like we're doing fine. I always assumed that since I'm a positive can do person that when I indicate something negative it'll be taken seriously, but that's not how it works unfortunately.
- mbesto 4y ago
  > It's hard to convince the team we are desperately underfunded when on the surface it looks like we're doing fine. Welcome to being a CTO :) I don't think a single one I interviewed ever said "nope I don't need more funds for devs, tools, <foo>" > Is there any sort of experience/book/theory you think a CTO should have to excel at the job Executive coaches are wonderful tools to help guide you through the soft skills required to navigate the noted frustrations you might have.

by mbesto 4y ago

koffiezet 4y ago

> doesn't know that his core infra team just wrote something in Rust Sorry but that is something he should know. That directly affects technology radar and roadmap, HR and a bunch of other stuff.

dqpb 4y ago

I wouldn't respect a CTO who couldn't pass a technical coding interview.

bradlys 4y ago
Are we talking about the same thing? Most are talking about Leetcode - which is a separate skill from the job and requires months of dedicated practice. I haven't seen any engineer managers pass the usual litany of tests that ICs get. (1 LC hard or 2 LC mediums in <40 minutes) Usually they get a very simplistic question or are given enough hints to get through it gracefully (something not afforded to ICs).

dqpb 4y ago

If the CTO isn't a technical domain expert then they are just middle management overhead.

Spivak 4y ago
This misunderstands the role of CTO which is to be a single point of responsibility and leadership for all the deliverables in engineering. And a lot of times CTOs are actually CPOs as well meaning they are also the final desk and driving force behind the strategic direction of new development as well. Middle management overhead is real but this isn’t really an example of it — there is always a CTO and a CPO but not always in name. Sometimes they’re technical and in the trenches, other times at small companies it’s the CEO who’s wearing multiple hats.
- dqpb 4y ago
  Let me guess, CFO's also don't need financial expertise?
  - bluehatbrit 4y ago
    They're not saying they don't need to have technical experience, they're saying they don't need to be a current technical domain expert. Of course they need to understand how software products are created, but they don't need to know to optimise your DB queries. That may not be the case at a small 5 person startup, but at a larger scale with a full division underneath you shouldn't be getting involved in the nitty gritty of why the database fell over. You should be making sure the engineering teams are being given the space to have those discussions, learn from it, and improve. The CFO of a similar sized company isn't sitting down and running payroll. They're talking about strategies to re-organise budgets to enable product or territory expansion. Or they're looking at the decisions leaders of a potential acquisition have made, and whether they stack up to the top level figures. Both roles are fundamentally business and people focused roles. They require the holder to take leadership of a specific area (technical, financial, or what have you) and run it efficiently to server the business goals. That requires you to have a good understanding of the area. The more you have the more likely you are to succeed, but you won't be writing code as a CTO. In the same way the CFO won't be running the tax calculations for payroll that month. Not once you're past 50 or so people in your division.
    - 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

tinco 4y ago

That's an awesome amount of interviews. Is there any sort of experience/book/theory you think a CTO should have to excel at the job (besides the technical and hr skills)? One thing I think I'm struggling with is competing for financial resources with the CEO. It's hard to convince the team we are desperately underfunded when on the surface it looks like we're doing fine. I always assumed that since I'm a positive can do person that when I indicate something negative it'll be taken seriously, but that's not how it works unfortunately.

mbesto 4y ago
> It's hard to convince the team we are desperately underfunded when on the surface it looks like we're doing fine. Welcome to being a CTO :) I don't think a single one I interviewed ever said "nope I don't need more funds for devs, tools, <foo>" > Is there any sort of experience/book/theory you think a CTO should have to excel at the job Executive coaches are wonderful tools to help guide you through the soft skills required to navigate the noted frustrations you might have.