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Lessons Learned: What does a startup CTO actually do?

Startup Lessons Learned

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?" So I initially gravitated to the CTO title, and not VP of Engineering.

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Pitch Deck Month: The “Where Are You Going?” Slide

View from Seed

Depending on the composition of the founding team, you might or might not have near-term holes in certain functions at the exec level – e.g. you’ll most likely need to bring on a CTO/VP of Engineering shortly after the seed round if you don’t have a technical co-founder.

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Customer Validation - 33 Great Articles

SoCal CTO

" Today I had two conversations with early stage startups (see Free CTO Consulting ). I’ve spoken to dozens of customers, I have a validated customer persona, built an MVP to test key behavioral hypotheses, and the data doesn’t back what you’re saying." " One was an enterprise software product. billion dollar mistake.

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The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Software Company

Up and Running

The one-page pitch format is also more suitable for SaaS businesses that are constantly testing new ideas. Your pitch is going to cover your strategy (what you’re going to do), your tactics (how you’re going to do it), your business model (how you will make money), and your schedule (who is doing what and when).

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How to Do Market Research

Up and Running

The amount of research you do really depends on the type of business you are starting, how risky your business model is, and who might be reading your business plan. Detailed market research isn’t necessary for all businesses. What Is a Market Forecast? Find out if your market is big enough.