SoCal CTO
JANUARY 26, 2010
I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. In December 2007, I described how I commonly take on an Acting CTO Role in a Start-up. I used an image from Roger Smith that describes the varying roles of a CTO as the company matures.
Both Sides of the Table
MAY 31, 2013
For those of you who haven’t heard, President Obama and US CTO Todd Park have established a National Day of Civic Hacking this weekend, in cities across the nation. Developer mentors and judges from AT&T, i.am.angel, Google, Scopely, CGI, Factual, and ESRI and the City and County of LA will support coders during the weekend.
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Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 22, 2021
I like their recommended framework for emerging firms, as well as large multinationals, to help build an optimal growth strategy for your company: Evaluate internal development versus external sourcing. Building through internal development, or organic growth, makes the most sense when you have a core set of skilled internal resources.
Startup Professionals Musings
APRIL 17, 2022
As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. The reason is that good attributes apply equally well to “external” partners, as they do to internal partners, like a co-founder or CTO. This is probably the best place to apply your “gut” feeling.
Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 7, 2013
I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. In the same year they won Business Insider’s Startup competition. Because I knew that Ethan was on to a powerful idea and one in which he had developed huge competence and domain knowledge in. The company was called Red Beacon. Nice sweep!
SoCal CTO
JULY 23, 2012
I seem to encounter a lot of people who want to attach a CTO label to me as I'm the only programmer on the founding team of three. While I do fill that role at the moment, I'm a little hesitant to refer to myself as a CTO as we still haven't launched a product, acquired a single user, or turned or a penny in profit. Who will do that?
Both Sides of the Table
JULY 1, 2010
You’ll get sales information from your VP of Sales, marketing information from your VP Marketing, tech information from your CTO and so on. By going on sales calls you pick up directly the feedback of what customers want and also what they’re telling you about competition. Skipping is insidious.
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