Мой личный склад идей

What responsibilities I relieve from the owner in the role of CTO When a company does not have a CTO, the owner becomes one by default — even if they do not want to or are not prepared, and even if there is already a senior developer on the team. In this article, I will explain what responsibilities a CTO truly relieves from the owner. Responsibility for making technical decisions Imagine a situation where there is no intermediary between the owner and the developer. In this case, all responsibility for technical decisions automatically falls on the owner. The developer can suggest technologies and solutions, but they are not responsible for their long-term consequences. Their task is to implement them. If tomorrow the chosen technology goes out of fashion, the pool of specialists narrows, and support costs triple, the developer will simply shrug their shoulders. The CTO’s task is to relieve this responsibility from the owner and consciously choose technologies based on business goals, company strategy, and actual capabilities. Not because “it’s trendy,” but because this decision will be sustainable over 3–5 years. Responsibility for system stability As long as everything works — stability is rarely considered. When something breaks — the fire-fighting begins. The fire is put out, instructions are given “to prevent this from happening again,” and a fix is implemented. A week later, something else breaks. Can the owner foresee all potential bottlenecks in advance? No. Will developers, who see only their part of the system and work within their tasks, do this? Also no. The CTO’s role is to think about failures when everything is running smoothly. To identify bottlenecks, assess failure scenarios, develop response plans, and reduce the impact of potential incidents even before they occur. Translating from business language to development language Business speaks in its own language: money, opportunities, prospects, and risks. Developers speak in theirs: technologies, solutions, and tools. Problems begin when these languages clash without translation. As a result, the business receives something different from what it expected because priorities were misunderstood, and technical decisions were made without considering the company’s goals. The CTO masters both languages. They understand P&L, can evaluate ROI and reputational risks, and are capable of explaining to the engineering team why this particular task is important now, rather than another, more technically interesting but less valuable for the business. In conclusion Essentially, the task of any leader at the CEO-1 level is to relieve the CEO of responsibility and manage their area as a separate business, accountable for its operation and results. In this sense, the CTO is not fundamentally different from other C-level roles. But the CTO is one of the few positions that can be engaged on a part-time basis. Spending 5–10 hours a week, they can make key technical decisions, adjust the company’s technical course, and significantly reduce the owner’s personal responsibility for technological risks.