If you’re a startup app developer, you may wonder if you need a Chief Technology Officer (CTO). A good CTO is indispensable, if not paramount, to the success of any organization that has a research and development (R&D) division or must meet specific technological milestones. But considering the median annual salary for a CTO in 2024 is approximately $300,000, you must carefully assess whether your startup can cover this cost.
Now, let’s assume your startup is in a position to pay for a CTO — should you hire someone who is also a developer? Yes, someone with app development skills will prove beneficial, but with a few caveats. Consider that a competent CTO has a far more diverse skill set than an app developer. We’ll cover this in more detail below and how it can impact you as a startup app developer.
What Skills Must A CTO Have?
A CTO requires several crucial skills to be effective. Here’s what a good CTO should be able to do at your startup once hired:
- Leadership: The CTO must inspire and lead the tech-oriented staff members of your startup.
- Communication: Good communication skills are essential, as the CTO must regularly hold online and real-life meetings to convey ideas to all relevant stakeholders.
- Technical know-how: If the CTO is also a developer, it will be easier for this individual to provide insights into your tech stack and other technical aspects.
- Visionary: The CTO must have a clear vision of the future of your startup and how upcoming technologies will impact it.
- Strategic: The CTO must regularly strategize your startup’s technological plan based on the vision, market conditions, and emerging technologies.
- Time management: Since the CTO has many daily tasks on the schedule, good time management skills are a prerequisite.
- Project management: Every effective CTO must stay organized to manage a project properly, regardless of its scope.
How Will The CTO Function Within The Structure Of A Startup App Developer?
Once you find a CTO who has all of the above skills and aligns with your startup’s culture, values, and goals — consider the impact the new hire will have on the structure of your organization.
If you’ve hired someone who is also an app developer, this should positively impact relations with the rest of the developers in your team. That’s because it will be easier for them to exchange ideas around technical concepts since there won’t be any significant knowledge gaps.
The CTO will structure a tech team to perform several core tasks. A typical structure will have the CTO at the lead, with the QA engineer, back-end engineer, UI/UX designer, and development team following the CTO’s guidance.
Will The CTO Also Code When Joining My Startup App Developer?
No, it’s a bad idea to hire a CTO for coding purposes, even if they are one of the best programmers in the world. The CTO’s primary duty is to lead your tech team and make the crucial decisions that will impact the direction of your software product lines (SPLs).
In Conclusion
As a startup app developer, you must pick your CTO wisely. The right choice will positively impact the long-term success of your startup, but a bad pick can sink it. More often than not, hiring a CTO who is also a developer is a good move, provided they have the relevant skills to lead your tech team.
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