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> because there's no well-defined meaning to the title of "CTO". Our "CTO" codes, Amen. I am a CTO, but spend most of my day coding. I was brought onto a smal
by mexicocitinluez 1y ago
> because there's no well-defined meaning to the title of "CTO". Our "CTO" codes,
Amen.
I am a CTO, but spend most of my day coding. I was brought onto a smallish/medium sized company to get their base tech into the modern age, build LOB apps to improve some workflows, and ultimate build a new EMR in that space to replace the one the company is using.
I don't have anybody that reports to me. I'm one of 2 tech people in a company of clinicians and doctors. There is no budgeting or reports I have to generate.
But, it was the only title that made sense given my role in that specific company.
Anytime someone asks me I always have to add "but I don't really do CTO things".
- swat535 1y agoYou can say this about any “C” title, such as the CEO who is spending his time in Figma or marketing or sales,… In small startups, people wear multiple hats due to resource constraints. Executive roles and responsibilities change when the company grows.
- kgwxd 1y agoThen why even mention the CTO part?
- mexicocitinluez 1y agoBecause it's the official title at my company?
- dijksterhuis 1y agoyou are what you do > I am a CTO > "but I don't really do CTO things" so you’re not a CTO according to your own definition of what a CTO does then. my previous employment i was “lead engineer”. i got to pick that title. had a 1 day per week part timer reporting to me. similar company description. making technical decisions. strategy meetings with CEO and founder etc. i was not a lead engineer and ive since changed my linkedin page/cv to just say “engineer”. who or what was i leading? a contractor in ukraine who did work for us one day a week? nah, need a team (ie more than 1) to be able to lead. do the brave thing and call bullshit on yourself. this is something good leaders do.
- tptacek 1y agoPeople here want "CTOs" to be brave enough to call bullshit on their "CTO-hood" but nobody here is brave enough to call bullshit on the title itself, which is the truer and more important observation.
- mexicocitinluez 1y agoWhat's the purity test for being a "real" CTO?
- tptacek 1y agoLike I keep saying, I don't think there's any such thing. The title by itself has the same kind of meaning as "employee of the month".
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- DANmode 1y agoYou’re also what you can do, in the context of headhunting, which is the context most use titles. At any rate, Senior Engineer fits well here.