CTO: I'm a programmer now *smug* (I'm just like you guys, but paid much better)

Tech leads:???

CTO: I coded python hello world this weekend (I'm a multi talented genius)

lolwut?

You are so lucky to have him!

No idea how somebody can become a CTO without programming background of some sort.

@PappyHans I agree, but If I'm not mistaken the only major task of a CTO is the creation / innovation (read management and delegation) of any and all client-facing technology.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong

CTO stands for Chief Technical Officer. This title is given to someone who should mentor, design and drive the technologies used by the company. I don’t see how this is going to be possible without broad knowledge of systems, programming, databases, security etc. the list goes on. In all companies that I have worked in the CTO is the most knowledgeable person that can give guidance and explanation behind every decision made. That being said it makes sense for this person to be paid a lot more as their knowledge and experience is massive and very valuable

@PappyHans really? Maybe I've been in isolation too long.. Mentor and drive, sure.. But I've never known any CTO to actually do any "design" or anything else thats not passed down to the specialists..

Semi-related; i had an interview at an AI + NLP company recently, and the CTO literally said:

"I don't know anything about Machine Learning, don't worry"

@simonblack I don’t know to be honest. I have worked in a small startups and large corporations and in all places this was the case. For example our current CTO has won an award in AI and ML and comes from another very large organisation where he was leading a very big team for innovations.

My two cents: I wouldn’t want to work for someone who is going to tell me how things should work without any technical knowledge.

@PappyHans no, a CTO does not have to know these things. To quote wikipedia:

A chief technology officer (CTO), sometimes known as a chief technical officer or chief technologist, is an executive-level position in a company or other entity whose occupation is focused on scientific and technological issues within an organization.[1]

That means they have to solve those issues in a way that is good for the company. They do not need be able to understand programming, networks etc. They have people around them to give advice because they have more knowledge about the subject.

Do you think a minister of agriculture or transport needs to know how long a potato needs to grow or how trains work? If so, no thats not the case. Whenever that information is needed they are supplied with that by advisers.

@Codex404 Good point. The wiki definition is too broad, one that compares a CTO vs CIO is a little more informative:

Full article: https://telegraph.co.uk/business/...

CIO

- The company-wide face of the IT department
- Internally focussed on improving business processes
- Builder of the company’s IT infrastructure that meets it business objectives
- Works with suppliers who help build the company’s IT infrastructure
- A skilled organiser

CTO

- The external face of the company’s technology offering
- Builds and enhances the technology the company sells
- Responsible for matching technology with business priorities
- Works with partners who supply solutions for its technology
- Usually a skilled technologist

@simonblack a CIO? Never heard of that. I hate it when managers have technical skills. They are gonna play the engimeer and add sensors for a completely different machine into a production system because it takes 5 minutes for an actual engineer to come by and the next day asks why our software failed.

(yes thats frustration about the only CTO I personally know whith technical knowledge)

@Codex404 CIO's aren't very common, I believe it's one of those new age millennial things

@netikras ikr 😂

@PappyHans politics in large enterprise :/

@Burgundy yes most do know what they're doing agreed 😂

@simonblack CTO should also provide tech strategy and guiding vision and principles and keep a real close watch on company culture!

@PappyHans This is exactly how I would describe my CTO! Really grateful to have a person like that looking over me.

legend says he went on to become a 10x engineer, which are paid better than CTOs

@jesustricks *she