YoungUpstarts

MARCH 19, 2020

by Chad Ruff, Chief Technology Officer at Swiftpage. While machine learning does fall under the larger category of artificial intelligence (AI), it’s a bit more specific and can be extremely effective technology to pair with your customer and prospect database. What does a CRM with machine learning do? www.act.com ).

Artificial Inteligence 252

Artificial Inteligence Acquisition CTO Chad 252

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2022

In fact, I would broaden the definition of partner from co-founder to “business partner.” The reason is that good attributes apply equally well to “external” partners, as they do to internal partners, like a co-founder or CTO. Neither partner needs to be managed. Some people are too independent to be partner material.

Partner 385

Partner Software Review CTO Hire Cofounder 385

SoCal CTO

MAY 21, 2013

I''m spending more of my time recently working with non-technical startup founders who are having challenges with their software/web/mobile development teams. These are often the same things that cause a founder to reach out to me about helping their CTO, VP Engineering, tech team, off-shore development, etc.

Fractional CTO 219

Fractional CTO Developer Founder Architecture 219

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 18, 2017

As a CTO, I can definitely say without a doubt that few people understand what a CTO does. When I tell someone I’m a CTO, I’m often met with a blank stare. Even when someone is aware of what a CTO does, they often have limited context due to the wide variety of CTO roles.

Fractional CTO 54

Fractional CTO CTO Hire CTO Technical Review 54

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

In fact, I would broaden the definition of partner from co-founder to “business partner.” The reason is that good attributes apply equally well to “external” partners, as they do to internal partners, like a co-founder or CTO. Neither partner needs to be managed. Some people are too independent to be partner material.

Cofounder 221

Cofounder Software Review CTO Hire Founder 221

TechEmpower

JULY 31, 2023

When talking to startup founders or other innovators, we always ask questions to better understand their business as a core. Conclusion Startup metrics are an invaluable tool for founders and innovators. cto , infotech , innovation , product , project , saas What does the business do? How does it meet customers’ needs?

Metrics 260

Metrics Startup Retention Acquisition 260

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 2, 2010

Based on my posts Startup CTO or Developer and Acting CTO , Chris O’Meara wrote an interesting post Startup CTO: Could It Work? They tend to understand the product management side of the product well enough to guide the technology in a complementary way. They can likely close a lot of the Founder Developer Gap.

CTO Hire 150

CTO Hire Fractional CTO Startup Architecture 150

Hunter Walker

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

Or those special little bombs of a phrase like “enjoys playing founder more than being one” and “tells a good story but no follow-through.” Pair a Difficult CEO with a COO/CTO/CPO who knows how to manage alongside and whole just might be greater than the sum of its parts. Sketchy would be one. Unmotivated another.

Technical Cofounder 101

Technical Cofounder Founder Cofounder .Net 101

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 24, 2020

by Chad Ruff, Chief Technology Officer at Swiftpage. A social media management tool can be indispensable to small businesses trying to make the most out of their online presence. Securing a tool that will help them manage this important customer connection is an essential way to streamline your social media management.

CTO 142

CTO Chad Marketing Artificial Inteligence 142

SoCal CTO

MAY 27, 2010

I was just interviewed by Frank Peters - Tony Karrer and the Founder-Developer Gap. I received a follow-up question from an early-stage startup about the Founder Developer Gap that I’ve described before and that was part of the interview with Frank. This is somewhat the heart of what a CTO does. It was a lot of fun for me.

CTO Hire 170

CTO Hire Developer Founder Startup 170

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 15, 2014

Much has been written about when it is time to hire a “professional CEO” to run a startup company and of course that has long been a norm in Silicon Valley when founders find that their inexperience may be a limiting factor in company growth ( know as the Peter Principle ). I like technical founders so this wasn’t an issue.

Founder 309

Founder CTO Hire Silicon Valley Leadership 309

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

As your organization grows and you hire senior staff where you are no longer managing every employee directly the issue of how to manage people that are not your “direct&# reports arises. This applies to both founders and to VC’s that work with them. But as a CEO you can’t rely solely on this information.

CTO Hire 308

CTO Hire Management Technical Review Part-Time VPE 308

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Tuesday, September 30, 2008 What does a startup CTO actually do? What does your Chief Technology Officer do all day? So what does CTO mean, besides just "technical founder who really cant manage anyone?" I always assumed I wouldnt manage anybody. Heres my take.

CTO 168

CTO Fractional CTO CTO Hire Technical Review 168

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 10, 2012

I did a presentation recently for a graduate class from The Founder Institute around getting online/mobile products out the door. I LOVED it because, the presenting part was over quickly and we got into specific issues that the founders had in terms of getting things built. CTO Founder - Do they really still need a technical advisor?

Technical Review 332

Technical Review CTO Hire Fractional CTO Software Review 332

TechEmpower

AUGUST 21, 2023

If you’re a CEO, product leader, investor, or a founder looking for investors, a technical review conducted by a neutral, experienced third party will help you discover what’s really happening and what’s needed to make improvements. cto , infotech , innovation , product , project , saas

Technical Review 260

Technical Review Development Team Review Software Review Architecture 260

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 4, 2011

Almost every day I'm talking to early stage startup founders (see Free Startup CTO Consulting Sessions ) about what they plan to do. Many of these founders have talked with several developers or development firms about their plans. Content Management - do we need to allow easy editing of content in the system?

Developer 396

Developer Founder Viral Oauth 396

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 18, 2019

by Saumya Bhatnagar, CTO and Co-founder of InvolveSoft. Managing double responsibilities can become a major cause of stress. A study shows that female founders fear that they are less capable of running a business than men, and therefore, fear that they will lapse into chaos. Dealing With The Fear of Failure.

Technical Review 104

Technical Review Founder United States Cofounder 104

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 4, 2011

Almost every day I'm talking to early stage startup founders (see Free Startup CTO Consulting Sessions ) about what they plan to do. Many of these founders have talked with several developers or development firms about their plans. Content Management - do we need to allow easy editing of content in the system?

Developer 384

Developer Founder Viral Oauth 384

www.allthingsdistributed.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

Main July 11, 2007 The Different CTO Roles I was putting together a short panel presentation on the roleof a Chief Technology Officer in corporate innovation and I once again realized that there is quite a bit of confusion around the role of the CTO. My job at Microsoft is to worry about technology in thefuture.

CTO 40

CTO CTO Hire Syndicate Syndication 40

mashable.com

MAY 9, 2011

This is especially true when it comes to tech companies hiring the wrong chief technology officer. Today, CTOs are multi-taskers that aren’t just coders locked in some basement — they play a vital role in a tech company’s strategic plan and growth. Zach Cutler , The Cutler Group.

CTO Hire 73

CTO Hire Fractional CTO CTO Technical Review 73

Startup Lessons Learned

DECEMBER 1, 2014

For example: Mitch Kapor was a founder of Lotus. As the emeritus Chief Technology Officer of the United States, he still connects government and Silicon Valley. Ben Horowitz ’s book The Hard Thing About Hard Things is driving the conversation around startup management this year. Eric Ries will interview him.

Lean 165

Lean Fractional CTO Part-Time VPE Fractional VPE 165

View from Seed

MAY 11, 2016

Investors love the idea of backing second-time founders, especially if they have had success in their last company. etc… In addition, first-time founders I speak to often talk about how much they have learned and how they resolve to do things differently and better the next time. Is there a sophomore slump to avoid?

Founder 159

Founder Cofounder CTO Hire Early Stage 159

Business Plan Blog

AUGUST 20, 2013

However, the biggest mistake that a non-tech entrepreneur launching a tech business is to neglect bringing on a tech savvy co-founder on the management team. In order to be a successful tech startup, the team must consist of a Chief Technical Officer (CTO) level member to help with the technology plan.

CTO Hire 55

CTO Hire Fractional CTO Architecture Cofounder 55

www.bothsidesofthetable.com

MAY 13, 2012

Want to Know Difference Between a CTO and a VP of Engineering? Because more technology people probably read startup blogs I’m guessing this post will come under more scrutiny. Still, I believe I’m offering an accurate representation of the ideal configuration of the main technology leaders. Raising Venture Capital.

Fractional VPE 89

Fractional VPE Part-Time VPE Fractional CTO CTO Hire 89

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

Founders vs. Early Employees To help with this discussion, let me start with a definition of "early employee." The first few people into a startup are on a spectrum of founder vs. early employee. Founders are likely not paid for a long time and have a sizeable equity percentage for early risk and having the concept.

Early Stage 391

Early Stage Equity CTO Hire Sweat Equity 391

Feld Thoughts

JUNE 9, 2021

Matt was the co-founder/CEO of Return Path. The founders of each company talked and, in between efforts to decimate the other, agreed it might be worth merging to survive. It’s a follow-up to his previous book, Startup CEO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business. I’ve been working with Matt since 2000.

Fractional CTO 195

Fractional CTO Cofounder Startup Lead Investor 195

Hearpreneur

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Meet the startup co-founders that are simplifying and automating fundraising campaigns for nonprofits through their business, Kindest. We had a chance to interview Holly McKay and David Semerad, the co-founders of Kindest, and asked about their story, how they started their business and the future of Kindest. Tell us your story.

Cofounder 62

Cofounder Founder San Francisco SMS 62

SoCal CTO

JUNE 13, 2011

We had an interesting presentation at the LA CTO Forum by the CTO of a startup who chose Groovy / Grails as the framework for their startup. t prompted a good discussion around how CTOs go about choosing the programming language and framework for their startup. Get get help (see Free Startup CTO Consulting Sessions ).

Framework 330

Framework Programming Ruby Fractional CTO 330

rapidrollout.wordpress.com

JANUARY 15, 2011

Web Startup Lessons Advice from a CTO and Entrepreneur Home About Startup Advice: When to Use a Consulting CTO There are not many to be found. He or she might call himself a “consulting CTO,&# “freelance CTO,&# “on-demand CTO,&# “CTO on call,&# “CTO for hire,&# or just a “technology strategy advisor.&#

Fractional CTO 40

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire Fractional VPE 40

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

He has a really interesting background as a product manager and now an entrepreneur. Like many product managers, my background is fairly eclectic. I was in charge of all product management and marketing for the first year-and-a-half, that was a great learning experience with a very talented team of folks. It sounds interesting.

Management 150

Management Product Entrepreneur Silicon Valley 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2014

A while back I talked about how and where to find a co-founder in “ For a Startup, Two Heads are Always Better Than One ”. In this context, I’m broadening the definition of partner from co-founder to “business partner.” In this context, I’m broadening the definition of partner from co-founder to “business partner.”

Partner 269

Partner Software Review CTO Hire Fractional CTO 269

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 21, 2014

Our founder, Yves Sisteron, was my mentor and board member at my first startup. Stuart was a co-founder at my first startup company and ended up running global operations. We brought Ryan Lissack down from San Francisco to become Maker’s CTO and the rest is history. We already had a genius tech founder in Nick Halstead.

CTO Hire 320

CTO Hire Cofounder San Francisco Silicon Valley 320

www.huffingtonpost.com

MAY 10, 2011

Ive occasionally worked with executive recruiters, for example in hiring a CTO for my first company, Eve.com. I was lucky to sign on as advisor and investor the founder of a very high-profile consumer Internet site who happens to also be a former engineer, who I will call Richard. This time, I decided to handle the process myself.

CTO 43

CTO CTO Hire PHP Cofounder 43

YoungUpstarts

MAY 21, 2020

by Nick Frandsen, co-founder and managing partner at Dovetail. Nick Frandsen is a co-founder and managing partner at Dovetail. Dovetail designs, builds and invests into fast-growing technology companies. It’s genius! It’s the next thing!”

Product 264

Product Cofounder Audience Product Development 264

www.informationarbitrage.com

FEBRUARY 24, 2010

Main February 23, 2010 Advice for CTO Founders: Dont Let Business Kill the Business Founding a technology company is an amazing thing. Too often, however, I have found CTO / Founders paired with business people who not only don't add value, but frequently detract from the value of the business.

CTO Hire 40

CTO Hire Founder Cap Table Vesting 40

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

In fact, I would broaden the definition of partner from co-founder to “business partner.” The reason is that good attributes apply equally well to “external” partners, as they do to internal partners, like a co-founder or CTO. Neither partner needs to be managed. Some people are too independent to be partner material.

Partner 140

Partner Software Review CTO Hire Cofounder 140

The Next Web

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

George Deeb is the Managing Partner at Chicago-based Red Rocket Ventures , a startup consulting and financial advisory firm based in Chicago. If people are funding the business, they should get a premium because at the end of the day, cash funding founders are acting no different than a seed stage investor. Whose idea was it?

Cofounder 136

Cofounder Equity Founder Seed Stage 136