Think Like a CTO - by Alan Williamson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An effective Chief Technology Officer shapes almost every aspect of a modern business. This book shares the experience and advice of veteran CTOs and industry experts for handling IT crises, leading tech teams, and creating an inspiring vision for your company. In Think Like a CTO you will learn:

Effective interaction and relationship building with other C-level executives Creating long term visions and executing on short term goals Interviewing, hiring, and terminating team members Negotiating salaries and managing promotions Architecting future proofed systems Handling security breaches and ransomware attacks Putting together budgets and working with your CFO Identifying and managing outsourced vendor opportunities Managing and communicating bad news by leading with data, not passion Being the kind of leader that employees want to follow and emulate

Becoming a CTO is an incredible accomplishment. It's also one of the hardest transitions a technologist can make. This high-power and high-pressure role demands skills that are rarely developed as a software engineer. Think Like a CTO shines a light on all the areas an aspiring CTO needs to master to succeed. You'll learn how to build incredible working relationships with the rest of the C-suite, transform a company with private equity, and recruit and manage your development team. With this book as your guide, you'll quickly become a trusted leader figure with an inspiring vision for your company. about the technology Every modern company is a technology company, and that makes the CTO one of the most important leaders in an organization. The CTO must plan a company's technology vision, build and lead the team to get it done, and effectively interact with business leaders, clients, and investors. A highly effective CTO is vital for a company's continued growth and success. This book will show you how to be that CTO. about the reader For technology leaders working in or aspiring towards a CTO role.

From the Back Cover

Think Like a CTO is full of step-by-step guidance for succeeding as a Chief Technology Officer. Author Alan Williamson has mentored numerous CTOs who have been catapulted into the big leagues by private equity investment, acquisition, and rapid growth. In this book, he shares his hard-won lessons on how to survive and thrive in the fast-paced role. Inside you'll find practical frameworks for solving common challenges, including conducting bias-free interviewing, setting up meaningful performance reviews, and establishing teams built around a clear charter of responsibilities. Each chapter explores real scenarios CTOs face and includes the invaluable advice of veteran CTOs, recruitment specialists, and other industry experts. Harness the advice and tools in this book, and you'll soon be making data-driven decisions and putting your own brand of leadership on your CTO role.

About the Author

Alan Williamson is a Chief Technology Officer and partner of MacLaurin Group, a provider of operating partner services in technical and data analytics for private equity and investment companies. Alan supports portfolio company operations, having provided interim-CTO duties for Chicago Growth Partners and ParkerGale Capital. Alan served as full-time CTO at Royall & Company where he was responsible for the architecture, development and maintenance of all systems to support the needs and requirements of clients. With a deep background in high-volume server processing, Alan was the first UK Java Champion, a program by Oracle/Sun to recognize the Top 100 people who have contributed the most to Java.