The CTO role changed over the past decade. It was mostly engineering leadership. Now it is part strategist, part translator, and sometimes part organisational therapist.
From engineer to executive
CTOs who handle the role well aren't always the best engineers in the room. They ask useful questions of their teams, stakeholders, and themselves. They can explain what a technical decision means for the business without pretending to know more than they do.
The move from technical expert to organisational leader is hard. It is less a promotion than a change of craft. Deep focus, precision, and independent problem-solving still help, but different muscles need work.
The strategic dimension
Many of the questions that reach a CTO are not really technical questions at all:
- Should we build this capability in-house or buy a solution?
- How do we balance technical debt reduction against feature delivery?
- What does our architecture need to look like in three years to support where the business is going?
- How do we think about AI adoption without losing focus on what actually makes the product good?
These questions rarely have clean answers. It helps to have someone who understands the technical constraints and the business context, and can be honest about the trade-offs.
On interim engagements
For a company without a CTO, or between permanent hires, an interim can help. Not because an outsider knows better, but because some things are easier to see from outside.
The best interim work I've done didn't start with my plan. It started with enough trust to surface problems people had noticed but not said aloud. The goal is to leave the team stronger, not dependent on outside help.
A note on 2026
Technology feels interesting and unsettling in equal measure. AI is moving fast. Organisations are still working out what it means for software, teams, and "good work." Cloud economics keep surprising people. Things that felt settled a few years ago no longer do.
I find that more interesting than alarming. It rewards humility, though. The people I respect are willing to say they are still working things out.
If you're working through a technology leadership problem, I'm happy to compare notes.