, a product that is completely innovating your industry, or inventing a new model, hiring a CTO is vital to steer your company in the right direction. But, you’re probably wondering, “How am I going to find the right CTO or Technical Co-founder to take on this critical role?

What are the CTO’s Common Responsibilities?

First, before we dive into how to hire a CTO, let’s clarify the typical responsibilities this position holds. Being a CTO is more than just a title; it’s one of the most essential roles in a company. This individual will not only lead teams but will also influence business decisions and build tech strategies. Here are some typical responsibilities of a CTO or Technical Co-founder:

1. Technical Strategy for a Business

2. Product Architecture

3. Design a Technical Team

4. Product Phasing

5. Represent the Company Externally for Integrations and Partnerships

6. Manage Costs for Tech

Can a Current Team Member Grow Into the Role of CTO?

Employing a CTO Off the Job Market

You might think hiring off the job market is a good idea because there are experienced CTOs out there. However, since CTO is such an important role in the company, completely trusting an individual from a few interviews and their resume may not be the best way to know if someone will be good for your company. This is also a more expensive option since you may have to hire a talent agency to scout and convince talent to apply to the position, or even give more equity away and more expensive salaries. Overall, hiring off the job market is risky. Unless you can validate their experience from your network, this option is not advisable.

Hire a Team of Developers & Manage Them on Your Own

Hiring a team of developers and managing them on your own is also a risky option. First, you may not have the technical expertise and leadership skills to lead a team of developers. Also, many things can go wrong. What if one of the developers quits, how fast can you interview and rehire? There may be performance issues as well and what if the code is not scalable? You would have to be the one responsible when things go wrong. It’s a lot of pressure to run the business side of the company as well as the tech. Hiring a team of developers is not a good option at this point.