The CTO Playbook

By: Adam Horner
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  • Summary

  • Join Adam Horner, a CTO with over 30 years in the tech industry, on The CTO Playbook — the podcast dedicated to helping CTOs excel. Perfect for CTOs and tech leaders navigating the complexities of their roles, each episode offers clear insights, innovative strategies, and practical advice from top leaders in tech. With Adam’s extensive experience mentoring engineers and tech leaders, and over a decade as a CTO, you’ll gain the tools and knowledge to build and refine your own CTO playbook. Whether you're tackling complex projects, fostering innovation, leading teams, or shaping your company's tech strategy, this podcast is your go-to resource. Adam’s journey from engineer to strategic CTO was challenging. He learned through the school of hard knocks, making avoidable mistakes and facing countless challenges. Often out of his comfort zone and wishing for more guidance, he created this podcast to provide the support and advice he once lacked. Tune in for engaging interviews, leadership tips, and the latest in technology strategy. Each episode is designed to help you lead with confidence and level up as a CTO. Listen now to start your journey with The CTO Playbook and build your own playbook to excel in your role.
    Copyright 2024-2025
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Economics Management Personal Development Personal Success
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Episodes
  • 31: The Fatal Flaw of 10x Developers (Here’s What Actually Matters)

    31: The Fatal Flaw of 10x Developers (Here’s What Actually Matters)
    Feb 18 2025

    Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!


    Matt Watson is the CEO of FullScale and previously bootstrapped an SaaS company to $35 million ARR before a $150 million exit.


    In this episode, you're going to learn what skills CTOs need to become CEOs, why understanding sales and marketing is crucial for tech leaders, how to delegate effectively to focus on big-picture strategy, why communication and collaboration are key to scaling engineering teams, and what AI’s role is in shaping the future of software development.


    Matt Watson is the founder and former CTO of one of the early SaaS companies, VinSolutions, which he bootstrapped in 2003 to $35 million ARR before a $150 million exit in 2011. In 2018, he founded FullScale to help himself and others scale their teams with talent from the Philippines at 70% less cost. He also hosts the Product Driven podcast and writes a weekly newsletter about the gap between business and software engineering.


    Timestamps:


    [00:00] Introduction

    [05:30] Starting a company by solving a real problem

    [07:15] Bootstrapping an SaaS business to $35 million ARR

    [08:40] Challenges of building a product without a playbook

    [10:20] Different types of CTO roles

    [11:50] Why startup CTOs need a product mindset

    [13:05] The natural transition from CTO to CEO

    [14:30] What makes a good CTO

    [15:40] The importance of sales and marketing for CTOs

    [17:00] Selling to developers is harder than it seems

    [18:30] Why engineers struggle with delegation

    [19:50] The real reason 10x developers exist

    [21:10] How bureaucracy slows down engineering

    [22:35] Why startups move faster than big companies

    [24:00] Software corrosion and how products degrade over time

    [25:30] Why big companies struggle with innovation

    [27:00] The hidden cost of maintaining legacy software

    [28:40] Teaching the next generation of developers

    [30:20] The impact of AI on software development

    [31:50] How AI is changing the role of engineers

    [33:15] AI adoption rates among software developers

    [34:50] Why junior developers benefit most from AI

    [36:10] The balance between using AI and learning fundamentals

    [37:45] Why developers need to improve communication skills

    [39:00] The key to becoming a successful CTO

    [40:30] Why being the best known is more important than being the best


    Offshore your tech team with the talented engineers at FullScale.


    Connect with Matt on LinkedIn.


    Resources Mentioned:


    Product Driven Podcast with Matt Watson | Spotify or Apple

    VinSolutions | Website

    Stackify | Website

    GitHub Copilot | Website


    Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.
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    44 mins
  • 30: How to Align Data, Teams, and Strategy for Business Success: Ritavan's Framework

    30: How to Align Data, Teams, and Strategy for Business Success: Ritavan's Framework
    Feb 11 2025
    Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!Ritavan is a machine learning expert, author of Data Impact, and has worked in industries such as banking, energy, and real estate.In this episode, you're going to learn how to avoid complexity traps in data-driven decision-making, how to leverage unique advantages to create real business value, why alignment across teams is critical for success, the importance of simplifying processes to reduce inefficiency, and the role of data in driving growth while maintaining focus on customer needs.Ritavan is an entrepreneurial technology leader with a decade of experience focused on data-driven business impact. He has authored peer-reviewed papers, given invited talks at global conferences, and holds an international patent. Known for his first principles approach to building and scaling data-driven solutions across industries, Ritavan combines deep technical expertise with strategic vision and an execution-focused mindset. His latest book offers actionable insights to accelerate data-driven impact for non-software native businesses.Timestamps:[00:00] Introduction[06:30] Working with large volumes of data in diverse fields[07:45] The challenge of scoping problems in the real world[09:00] Lessons learned from his time at Societe Generale[10:25] Identifying and solving real-world problems in data[11:40] Impact of working in high-stakes environments like energy markets[12:55] The importance of owning P&L in business[14:05] Ritavan’s journey into real estate technology and venture capital[15:35] Scaling businesses from seed to post-series B[16:45] The challenge of growing in legacy businesses[17:50] A different approach to solving problems in traditional industries[19:05] The role of technology in modern businesses[20:15] Defining leverage and its role in business growth[21:35] Aligning teams for maximum impact[23:00] How military strategies inform business alignment[24:25] The power of clarity in decision-making[25:40] How to use data to drive alignment across teams[26:50] Simplifying processes to avoid overcomplication[28:10] The need for refactoring systems at every level[29:25] Avoiding complexity and streamlining operations[30:30] The risk of inefficiency when complexity builds up[31:45] How simplification leads to better optimization[32:50] The importance of optimizing after simplifying[34:05] Iterative optimization in business processes[35:15] Building an empirically valid model of your business[36:30] Balancing stochasticity and regularity in decision-making[37:40] The importance of continuously evolving business strategies[39:00] Why satisficing is suboptimal and how to avoid it[40:20] The need to maximize every opportunity for growth[41:35] Transitioning from a scarcity to an abundance mindset in business[42:50] The difference between industrial and data-driven paradigms[44:05] How airlines are an example of using data for customer loyalty[45:15] Why traditional models in energy markets need rethinking[46:30] Case study: Octopus Energy’s approach to consumer involvement[47:50] Streamlining processes for customer involvement and efficiency[49:00] Importance of leveraging data for more efficient consumption[50:10] Rethinking industries by going back to first principles[51:25] Why businesses must evolve with modern tools and technology[52:40] Maximizing impact through data-driven business strategiesIf you want to stop being just a consumer of AI products and start being a producer of data impact to delight your customers and grow revenue profitably, pre-register for Ritavan’s new book, Data Impact.Follow Ritavan on LinkedIn.Resources Mentioned:Data Impact by Ritavan | WebsiteThe Collapse of Complex Societies by Joseph Tainter | Book or AudiobookWhat Your Business Can Learn From Peter Drucker | ArticleFind more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.
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    53 mins
  • 29: How to Scale a Developer-First Startup with Daniel Jarjoura

    29: How to Scale a Developer-First Startup with Daniel Jarjoura
    Feb 4 2025
    Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!Daniel Jarjoura is the Managing Director at Avolta, specializing in helping engineering-led companies prepare for mergers and acquisitions.In this episode, you'll learn the importance of building products that solve broad problems for developers, how to use open source as a growth tool while monetizing through premium services, why GitHub metrics can help predict future success, how to scale from a developer-led market to enterprise sales, and the 18-24 month process to plan for a successful M&A exit.Daniel Jarjoura specializes in 'developer-first' companies, open source, AI, cloud, infrastructure and cybersecurity. Prior to his current role, Daniel served as a CTO advisor for four years and founded The Unicorn CTO, a community and leadership training program dedicated to CTOs. A software engineer by training, Daniel began his career managing tech, product and support teams before transitioning into entrepreneurship. Over the last 12 years, he launched two companies: Startup42, one of France’s first tech startup accelerators, and H2 Innovate, an innovative platform offering on-demand expertise. Additionally, Daniel founded and directed the entrepreneurship department at EPITA, a leading software engineering school in France, for ten years.Timestamps:[00:00] Introduction[05:00] Startup42: A tech startup accelerator for engineers[07:00] Challenges faced by engineer-led startups[09:00] Business model for Startup42[12:05] Lessons learned when transitioning to a second company[14:00] Shifting towards advisory work for CTOs and developers[16:00] Due diligence and M&A transactions in small cap companies[19:00] The importance of scaling to enterprise sales[21:10] Developer-first companies and the importance of solving broad problems[24:00] Evaluating market demand and finding alternatives[26:10] The difference between developer-first and VC-compatible companies[29:00] How to determine if your company is ready for VC funding[31:00] Open source as a tool for growth[36:05] The evolution of open source and its business model[39:00] The challenges of scaling developer-first companies[42:00] How to approach sales in a developer-first startup[44:30] Scaling from selling to developers to selling to enterprises[47:00] How cultural differences affect sales strategies in the US and Europe[50:00] How to position your company for an exit[52:00] The importance of getting noticed by the right acquirers[54:10] Strategies for attracting M&A attention[56:00] The 18-24 month preparation for a successful M&A exitConnect with Daniel on LinkedInResources Mentioned:The Unicorn CTO | WebsiteGitHub | WebsiteGitLab | WebsiteMongoDB | WebsiteAngelList | WebsiteDatadog | WebsiteH2 Innovate | WebsiteStartup42 | LinkedInEPITA | WebsiteFind more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.
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    1 hr

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