article thumbnail

Technical Advisors: Every Startup Needs One

TechEmpower

Why do this without the right technical advisor? Just like attorneys, technical advisors can help navigate waters that many find murky. Actually, many startups need two kinds of technical advisors. Are developers following best practices in their code and life cycle? Is this person a CTO or a developer?

article thumbnail

Technical Advisors: Every Web/Mobile Startup Must Have One

SoCal CTO

It was like having a bunch of mini- Free Startup CTO Consulting Sessions all in one room. This is exactly the kind of thing I'm doing as a Part-Time CTO or Technical Advisor for startups. There are two kinds of advisors that are commonly needed. Strategic Technical Advisor. Tactical Technical Advisor.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Startup CTO or Developer

SoCal CTO

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.

article thumbnail

Making Sure You Are Ready to Begin Building Your MVP

SoCal CTO

Do you have a Technical Advisors: Every Web/Mobile Startup Must Have One ? Don't be fooled by a Common Misunderstanding in Agile Software Development. While You Are Building Your MVP Look for the following Symptoms of a Weak Development Team. And when you have Poor Software Developers - Pull the Plug Early.

CTO Coach 219
article thumbnail

Lead Developer to CTO at a Startup

SoCal CTO

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. Accounting?

CTO Coach 231
article thumbnail

Working with Developers

SoCal CTO

they need a developer more than they need a CTO. What happens when you have a really good developer is that a gap exists where you may not ask the right questions to specify the right system, consider appropriate 3rd party technologies, etc. Many are not interested in 3rd party technologies that can streamline development.

Develop 280
article thumbnail

Building Your MVP as a Non-Technical Founder

SoCal CTO

Equity-Only CTO and Equity-Only Developers Technology Roles in Startups Want to Know the Difference Between a CTO and a VP Engineering? In this talk, we spent most of our time on Technical Advisors: Every Web/Mobile Startup Must Have One and how they should be helping you: Specify the right things to be built.