WEBVTT
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Welcome to this bonus episode of conversations in software develop.
00:00:13.789 --> 00:00:20.420
In episode four, I spoke with Jenny Farber about product development, including the various roles that you find in a product development team.
00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:23.210
Jenny herself has been the CTO of several companies.
00:00:23.210 --> 00:00:28.010
So we also spent some time discussing what a CTO does here is what Jenny had to say.
00:00:28.940 --> 00:00:49.159
So I know that you've been a CTO, uh, in a couple of companies, uh, and, uh, I find that a lot of times, uh, you know, the CTO sounds like such a lofty in such a sort of high up like position that it's a little bit hard for someone who is just starting in software development to sort of conceive of what exactly the CTO is supposed to do.
00:00:49.161 --> 00:00:53.390
So can you tell us a little bit about what, uh, you know, what does a CTO do?
00:00:54.799 --> 00:01:05.120
Um, well, first off I would, I would ask you basking that to every CTO you meet, um, you know, it's good to get different answers, but also, um, the fact that is that the role varies a lot.
00:01:05.150 --> 00:01:06.859
It depends on the person.
00:01:06.861 --> 00:01:08.870
It depends on the kind of company.
00:01:09.109 --> 00:01:10.819
It depends on the stage of the company.
00:01:11.390 --> 00:01:16.849
And so, um, there there's different paths, there's different types of CTOs with different strengths.
00:01:17.450 --> 00:01:24.769
Um, it's also probably worth mentioning that in most technology organizations, there's at least two top jobs.
00:01:25.010 --> 00:01:29.870
There's often a CTO or chief technology officer and the vice president of engineering.
00:01:31.069 --> 00:01:45.170
Um, and there's some, some kind of classic separations on who does what, but, but there's often too, um, just in that's just to bring all of the skills together that you need to run a successful, um, technology team.
00:01:46.129 --> 00:01:52.549
Um, so, you know, it's small companies, the CTO is often the smallest company is the CTO is often the top engineer.
00:01:52.969 --> 00:02:00.650
Um, they might write a lot of code or they might try to, they, they might help make higher level decisions about architecture, approach, language, selection, that kind of stuff.
00:02:01.909 --> 00:02:08.569
Some CTO spend a lot of their time outside the company, um, and that their job is part of the company's marketing.
00:02:08.810 --> 00:02:12.110
So, you know, by our software, cause our CTO is really smart.
00:02:12.889 --> 00:02:15.919
Um, and so they might spend a lot of their time on sales activities.
00:02:15.920 --> 00:02:18.319
They might spend a lot of their time on developer relations.
00:02:18.320 --> 00:02:25.969
So if they work, the company makes a product that's for other technologists that CTO is out there in the community, trying to get people excited about using it.
00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:41.780
Um, uh, they might just do a lot of public speaking, some of that's for recruiting and for other reasons, um, uh, for me, uh, I, I think my strengths are mostly in management and, uh, a strategy with kind of a technical background.
00:02:41.780 --> 00:02:49.460
So, you know, I came up through STEM software development, but, um, you know, in the grand scheme of things, didn't spend a lot of time there.
00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:53.990
Um, and, but I do enjoy, um, building teams.
00:02:53.991 --> 00:02:56.449
I enjoy, um, I enjoy people.
00:02:56.450 --> 00:03:02.469
I enjoy thinking about how you grow companies and all of the things that you need to change as, as a company grows.
00:03:03.129 --> 00:03:11.139
Um, so, you know, I tend to spend most of my time in those activities, I seek out workplaces where those are, um, important activities.
00:03:11.349 --> 00:03:22.750
So, um, the past three places I've been team growth was a primary team growth and evolution I would say are the primary focuses of the company.
00:03:22.751 --> 00:03:29.740
So, um, those are like exciting jobs for me to do because I knew that there was like real work to be done there and something interesting to do.
00:03:31.060 --> 00:03:46.180
Um, and so, you know, what does that mean on an average day, on an average day, I'm like reading and writing and talking to people sometimes about technology, um, sometimes, uh, about people on a technology team.
00:03:46.210 --> 00:04:05.740
So like how do we organize our teams and make sure people have fulfilling careers, um, regardless of what I'm doing, I do feel like I'm heavily using my technology background, um, sometimes directly, but often just often I just feel like an engineering education made me a really good systems thinker.
00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:22.269
And so she think just kind of about like, what does it take to turn a company from a 30 person company to 150 person company it's like constantly reinventing every little system that that company has.
00:04:22.389 --> 00:04:28.959
This is how we, um, this is what these are the rules for vacation time, and these are the rules for how to use GitHub.
00:04:28.961 --> 00:04:36.850
And these are the rules for, you know, and like, so just a lot of systems thinking about, you know, whatever we do, it will have consequences.
00:04:37.509 --> 00:04:41.860
Um, do we like those consequences or dislike those consequences and therefore, what do we do next?
00:04:43.949 --> 00:05:00.240
What, what do you think is the, uh, the dividing line between, you know, you mentioned that there's usually a CTO and a VP of engineering, uh, and I'm, I'm guessing that also varies a lot, you know, with each individual company and the size and nature of the company, et cetera, but what tends to be like the dividing line between those two?
00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:10.139
Um, I would say often a VP of engineering is the top engineering manager and the CTO is something else.
00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:12.420
So they might be more of a strategist.
00:05:12.449 --> 00:05:14.550
They might be more of a working engineer.
00:05:15.149 --> 00:05:16.889
Um, they might be more of an evangelist.
00:05:16.949 --> 00:05:21.720
So I would say that is the most common, most common breakdown.
00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:13.109
Welcome to this bonus episode of conversations in software develop.
00:00:13.789 --> 00:00:20.420
In episode four, I spoke with Jenny Farber about product development, including the various roles that you find in a product development team.
00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:23.210
Jenny herself has been the CTO of several companies.
00:00:23.210 --> 00:00:28.010
So we also spent some time discussing what a CTO does here is what Jenny had to say.
00:00:28.940 --> 00:00:49.159
So I know that you've been a CTO, uh, in a couple of companies, uh, and, uh, I find that a lot of times, uh, you know, the CTO sounds like such a lofty in such a sort of high up like position that it's a little bit hard for someone who is just starting in software development to sort of conceive of what exactly the CTO is supposed to do.
00:00:49.161 --> 00:00:53.390
So can you tell us a little bit about what, uh, you know, what does a CTO do?
00:00:54.799 --> 00:01:05.120
Um, well, first off I would, I would ask you basking that to every CTO you meet, um, you know, it's good to get different answers, but also, um, the fact that is that the role varies a lot.
00:01:05.150 --> 00:01:06.859
It depends on the person.
00:01:06.861 --> 00:01:08.870
It depends on the kind of company.
00:01:09.109 --> 00:01:10.819
It depends on the stage of the company.
00:01:11.390 --> 00:01:16.849
And so, um, there there's different paths, there's different types of CTOs with different strengths.
00:01:17.450 --> 00:01:24.769
Um, it's also probably worth mentioning that in most technology organizations, there's at least two top jobs.
00:01:25.010 --> 00:01:29.870
There's often a CTO or chief technology officer and the vice president of engineering.
00:01:31.069 --> 00:01:45.170
Um, and there's some, some kind of classic separations on who does what, but, but there's often too, um, just in that's just to bring all of the skills together that you need to run a successful, um, technology team.
00:01:46.129 --> 00:01:52.549
Um, so, you know, it's small companies, the CTO is often the smallest company is the CTO is often the top engineer.
00:01:52.969 --> 00:02:00.650
Um, they might write a lot of code or they might try to, they, they might help make higher level decisions about architecture, approach, language, selection, that kind of stuff.
00:02:01.909 --> 00:02:08.569
Some CTO spend a lot of their time outside the company, um, and that their job is part of the company's marketing.
00:02:08.810 --> 00:02:12.110
So, you know, by our software, cause our CTO is really smart.
00:02:12.889 --> 00:02:15.919
Um, and so they might spend a lot of their time on sales activities.
00:02:15.920 --> 00:02:18.319
They might spend a lot of their time on developer relations.
00:02:18.320 --> 00:02:25.969
So if they work, the company makes a product that's for other technologists that CTO is out there in the community, trying to get people excited about using it.
00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:41.780
Um, uh, they might just do a lot of public speaking, some of that's for recruiting and for other reasons, um, uh, for me, uh, I, I think my strengths are mostly in management and, uh, a strategy with kind of a technical background.
00:02:41.780 --> 00:02:49.460
So, you know, I came up through STEM software development, but, um, you know, in the grand scheme of things, didn't spend a lot of time there.
00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:53.990
Um, and, but I do enjoy, um, building teams.
00:02:53.991 --> 00:02:56.449
I enjoy, um, I enjoy people.
00:02:56.450 --> 00:03:02.469
I enjoy thinking about how you grow companies and all of the things that you need to change as, as a company grows.
00:03:03.129 --> 00:03:11.139
Um, so, you know, I tend to spend most of my time in those activities, I seek out workplaces where those are, um, important activities.
00:03:11.349 --> 00:03:22.750
So, um, the past three places I've been team growth was a primary team growth and evolution I would say are the primary focuses of the company.
00:03:22.751 --> 00:03:29.740
So, um, those are like exciting jobs for me to do because I knew that there was like real work to be done there and something interesting to do.
00:03:31.060 --> 00:03:46.180
Um, and so, you know, what does that mean on an average day, on an average day, I'm like reading and writing and talking to people sometimes about technology, um, sometimes, uh, about people on a technology team.
00:03:46.210 --> 00:04:05.740
So like how do we organize our teams and make sure people have fulfilling careers, um, regardless of what I'm doing, I do feel like I'm heavily using my technology background, um, sometimes directly, but often just often I just feel like an engineering education made me a really good systems thinker.
00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:22.269
And so she think just kind of about like, what does it take to turn a company from a 30 person company to 150 person company it's like constantly reinventing every little system that that company has.
00:04:22.389 --> 00:04:28.959
This is how we, um, this is what these are the rules for vacation time, and these are the rules for how to use GitHub.
00:04:28.961 --> 00:04:36.850
And these are the rules for, you know, and like, so just a lot of systems thinking about, you know, whatever we do, it will have consequences.
00:04:37.509 --> 00:04:41.860
Um, do we like those consequences or dislike those consequences and therefore, what do we do next?
00:04:43.949 --> 00:05:00.240
What, what do you think is the, uh, the dividing line between, you know, you mentioned that there's usually a CTO and a VP of engineering, uh, and I'm, I'm guessing that also varies a lot, you know, with each individual company and the size and nature of the company, et cetera, but what tends to be like the dividing line between those two?
00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:10.139
Um, I would say often a VP of engineering is the top engineering manager and the CTO is something else.
00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:12.420
So they might be more of a strategist.
00:05:12.449 --> 00:05:14.550
They might be more of a working engineer.
00:05:15.149 --> 00:05:16.889
Um, they might be more of an evangelist.
00:05:16.949 --> 00:05:21.720
So I would say that is the most common, most common breakdown.
