How To Find and Hire The Right CTO For Your Startup

20/09/2019 How to Find and Hire the Right CTO for Your Startup?
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How to Find and Hire the Right CTO for Your Startup?
STARTUPTALKY (/404/) SEPTEMBER 03, 2019
This article was contributed by Roopa Kumar, Co-founder Purple Quarter.
It wasn’t that long back when top-rated companies were vying with each other to hire the
best CEO. Fast forward to the present economy where technology dominates, and one in
which the CTO (Chief Technical O cer) has taken the center stage. Finding the right
talent can be nothing short of an unending odyssey in a country like India. The demand
for a CTO is a recent phenomenon in the Indian job market and when there does seem to
be an avenue of opportunity, companies and recruiting bodies hit a dead end when it
comes to nding the right talent. Companies often face limitations due to a dearth of
experience and leadership capabilities.
Getting matched with the ideal CTO is as tough as discovering a rare pearl in an oyster.
But, if you do, then there’s nothing that can hinder your rm from shuttling towards
success. There are several reasons for this, of course. Thought leaders and industry
experts across the globe agree on the fact that CTOs are the connecting factor between
rms and their customers. As a C-level executive in the upper echelon of a company’s
organization, on par with the Chief Commercial O cer, Chief Operating O cer, and Chief
Financial O cer, the CTO is majorly responsible for spearheading a company’s
innovation and technology growth story.
"I think the CTO can be the glue between technology implementation and product strategy, and can
sort of make things really come together and come to life in a way that you don't see in a lot of
organizations today", said by Matt Mead, CTO of Chicago-based digital consultancy company SPR
   
As the years progress with new(https://twitter.com/share?

and innovative technologies
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consistently entering the
(https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?
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market, the CTO's role calls for constant updates and improvements. A symbiotic
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relationship exists between the CTO and technology which needs to evolve accordingly.
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In today’s digital age, CTOs aren’t just tech administrators who handle the backend of a
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business’s functioning; they are tech gurus on the front lines, envisioning, and
spearheading newer and improved technological processes to help write a company’s
success story.
Why CTO's becoming more important than CEOs

The CTO (Chief Technical O cer) and understands technology but expresses it through
the language of business. The CEO (Chief Executive O cer) is the face of the company
and the CTO lends a helping hand to him/her when it comes to the technical aspects of
the organization. Unless the technical strengths of a company could be understood by all,
it simply goes down the drain. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs were both essential to the
success of Apple, but Wozniak was smart enough to realize that he was not the front man
for the company; he was the genius behind the products. Every company needs a strong
technological edi ce, and for that, one needs stalwart CTOs.
The CTO is primarily responsible for transforming big ideas into sound strategies and
products that can be easily used by customers.
The CTO, the person who is in charge of a company's technology strategy, will evolve into the CEO of
tomorrow.
As companies become tech savvy, the CEO will inevitably perform the role of a CTO as
well. The CTO needs to align technology with the business strategy and bridge any gap
between the two. In future, CEOs—like the CTOs of today—will have to understand how
technology is going to a ect their business and the broader scope of itin general. CEOs
have to be business-focused. They need to expertise in productivity, strategy, revenue
growth and security. It's no surprise that present generation CTOs already have these
skills imbibed in them.
CTO must possess both technical and business skills, which are necessary in leading organisations
further into the digital economy.
The Chief Technology O cer's role is the highest position of responsibility within a
company that leads the technology
 orengineeringdepartment.
 He develops policies and
procedures to enhance products(https://twitter.com/share?

or services(https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?
focusing on
(https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php? the client base. The CTO also
develops strategies to increase revenue and

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on-investment analysis.

Four Steps to Hire the Best CTO

Finding the right CTO isn't a herculean task in today’s job market. We’ve listed out a four
process approach to get the job done:
1. Be speci c and chart the company’s road map

Be unabashed about the responsibilities your desired CTO will have to ful ll. If it’s
going to be a demanding role, then you need to be honest and say so. De ne the
current position of your organization, where it needs to be, and why being a part of
that journey can be a ful lling experience professionally. Have a candid conversation
about this when you interview potential candidates, or you can even state them in
the job description. Trust us, this is the ideal hook to attract the right kind of
candidates. Leadership capabilities are one of the most sought after skills. Your CTO
will be managing the tech department of the organization. To meet this
requirement, the ideal candidate should ideally have prior experience in a similar
capacity. They need to be quick thinkers who can think on their feet and tackle
situations with the best strategies. They must assist in actualizing the vision of the
company. They need to be chameleons who can adapt to their ever changing role as
per the company’s policies, vision, and business models (as and when these
upscale). E cient use of technological resources, implementing new infrastructures
to scale a company’s pro t margins are some of the winning qualities that de ne the
ideal CTO.
2. Sell the role
Finding the right CTO is like unearthing a gem. You will face sti competition from
several companies vying for the same candidate. You need to avoid selling yourself
short in this scenario. Work your salesman skills and shoo the candidate into your
Firm. List out the company’s USPs during the interview process. Talk about the
di erent opportunities and bene ts that come with the job. The more perks, the
better! Discuss key points like equity distribution and autonomy. Talk about all these
factors and stress on what makes your company better than the rest.
3. Cultural Fit
Being the right cultural t is invariably the most important factor to look out for in a
CTO. Having the right technical skills is essential, but so is being able to adapt to the
new company culture. This is especially important when you are recruiting a person
from another country. After all, if a person can't handle diversity and inclusion, other
competencies are a waste. Moreover, no one wants to work with an unfriendly snob.
In these matters, di erent factors come into play—issues related to dialect, having
the right knowledge databank to match, emphasis on helping expand a company’s
pro t margins and visibility across geographies. For example, the technological
requirements that a CTO needs to have in a developing economy like India may not
be the same as the needs of the same in a developed nation like America. Company
cultures are di erent, and a CTO needs to be able to t within the same—open to
adaptability.    
4. Map the key stakeholders - The Intersection between

(https://twitter.com/share? employers and potential
employees
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If you are aiming at global expansion, looking for global partnerships, M&A, and
looking to scale your pro ts big time, then hiring the right talent is the only choice
you have. A key stakeholder will look for a person who is a tech whiz but who is also
well versed in the business side of things. It’s important to ensure during the
recruitment process that the candidate is on the same wavelength as the key
stakeholders. It’s an intersection between employers and potential employees. Key
stakeholders should partner the right candidates with the right role. It should be a
seamless t like a brick in the wall. You know you’ve got the hiring process done
right if you manage to match the right talent with the key stakeholders’ expectations.
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20/09/2019 How to Find and Hire the Right CTO for Your Startup?

This article was contributed by Roopa Kumar, Co-founder Purple Quarter.

As the years progress with new(https://twitter.com/share?

Why CTO's becoming more important than CEOs

procedures to enhance products(https://twitter.com/share?

develops strategies to increase revenue and

startup/) startup/) startup/&title=How%20to%20Find%20and%20Hire%20the%20Right%20CTO%20for

Four Steps to Hire the Best CTO

1. Be speci c and chart the company’s road map

4. Map the key stakeholders - The Intersection between

Tags hiring (/tag/hiring/) CTO (/tag/cto/) Startup Study Modules 📖 (/tag/learn/)

Enter your email...

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startup/) startup/) startup/&title=How%20to%20Find%20and%20Hire%20the%20Right%20CTO%20for

How Amcubes Helps College Students Get What They "Deserve"

Shubham Kumar (/author/shubham/) September 03, 2019

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