Why Your Startup Needs an Experienced CTO

Do you want your startup to reach its full potential? Without an experienced CTO, many startups encounter the following problems that could have been avoided.

1. Misestimating your project.

Estimating is a skill that comes from years of experience. It’s widespread for studios or inexperienced developers to misestimate the project resulting in late delivery or non-delivery. We’ve seen projects quoted for three months delivered in a year or not delivered at all, thus disrupting go-to-market plans. A CTO estimates your project accurately and increases the chances of timely delivery.

2. Building something that does not align with your business needs.

Do you build a mobile app, a website, or an API first? Why do you need them? Who are your target customers? A CTO helps identify your business differentiators and align technical decisions appropriately.

3. Lack of feedback cycles and transparency in the development process.

Without incremental delivery and the opportunity to give feedback early and often, your product will likely miss the mark. A CTO arranges team demos and customer feedback sessions while pivoting on the fly to adjust to changing requirements.

4. Low standard of quality.

Your development team output might not meet industry quality standards, resulting in expensive rework. A CTO holds the bar for technical deliveries, thus avoiding the rework altogether.

5. Lack of support when trying to obtain funding.

Investors perceive a solo founder without a team to be less investable than one with an experienced team. A CTO reduces investor risk when trying to secure funding and supports your fundraising efforts while answering questions from investors.

6. Inability to attract technical talent.

How would you find the right people without a network of proven professionals and the ability to screen engineers? An experienced CTO has a network of software professionals they work with who can join your startup.