The Ultimate Guide for New CTOs and Tech Executives—with Advice from 17 Tech Leaders

So, you’ve just started your dream job as a CTO (or another high-level tech executive). Congratulations! After years of hard work, you’re taking on a role that will elevate your career to a whole new level. Excitement is in the air, but so is fear of the unknown.

As you prepare for the new challenges ahead, you might be asking yourself questions like:

• What should I focus on first?
• How do I navigate the new organization?
• What are the common mistakes I should avoid?

We asked 17 professionals (CTOs, CEOs, founders, and software engineering managers) to share their top tips for new CTOs and tech executives. Quite frankly, what we received exceeded our expectations. The number of responses and the depth of the advice mean two things to us:

1. taking on the role of a CTO, especially without prior management experience, is very challenging;
2. thankfully, there are plenty of people around who recognize this and are more than happy to share their knowledge.

We decided to put all the advice together in the hope that it will inspire and guide you as you take your first steps in the new role.

As you read through our guide, if anything resonates with you or if you feel we should add another tip, feel free to let us know via email or on social media. Now, let’s dive in!