The Big Idea

Establish a role that transitions most of software delivery and team management over to someone else.

As the company grows and the engineering team expands, the complexity of managing and coordinating the team increases. A VP of Engineering can provide the necessary leadership and guidance to ensure that the team is aligned and working towards the company's goals.

A VP of Engineering can help the CTO develop a long-term engineering strategy that aligns with the company's overall business objectives. This includes setting technical priorities, defining engineering processes, and identifying key areas for investment.

A VP of Engineering can ensure that engineering resources are being used effectively and efficiently, including managing budgets, timelines, and project prioritization.

The VP of Engineering can collaborate with other departments, such as product management and design, to ensure that engineering is aligned with the company's overall product roadmap and business objectives.

A VP of Engineering brings deep technical expertise to the role, which can be invaluable in guiding the team towards the best technical solutions. They can provide mentorship to junior engineers and help to identify and recruit top technical talent.

By taking on the day-to-day management of the engineering team, a VP of Engineering can free up the CTO's time to focus on higher-level strategic initiatives and other areas of the business.

You know you’re struggling when

When a CTO doesn't hire an effective VP of Engineering as their right-hand person, they can face a myriad of challenges related to team management, product delivery, and strategic alignment.

Here are some of the challenges a CTO might encounter:

  1. Operational Overload: Without a competent VP of Engineering, the CTO might find themselves mired in day-to-day operational issues, detracting from their ability to focus on higher-level strategic and technological concerns.
  2. Team Management: The CTO may struggle with managing the engineering team directly, especially if the team is large or distributed. This includes challenges related to hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and conflict resolution.
  3. Product Delivery Delays: An effective VP of Engineering ensures that the engineering team meets product delivery timelines. Without this role, there might be delays, missed deadlines, and scope creep.
  4. Quality Assurance: The CTO might face challenges in maintaining product quality, as they might not have the bandwidth to oversee rigorous testing, code reviews, and quality assurance processes.
  5. Resource Allocation: Deciding how to allocate engineering resources effectively, prioritizing projects, and managing technical debt can become overwhelming without a dedicated VP of Engineering.
  6. Lack of Mentorship: Engineering teams benefit from mentorship and leadership. Without a VP of Engineering, there might be a gap in providing technical leadership and career development for engineers.
  7. Communication Breakdown: The CTO might struggle to maintain clear communication between the engineering team and other departments, leading to misalignment and misunderstandings.
  8. Strategic Misalignment: Without a VP of Engineering to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and ground-level execution, there's a risk of the engineering team drifting from the company's strategic goals.
  9. Burnout: Taking on the responsibilities of both the CTO and VP of Engineering roles can lead to burnout, as the CTO might be stretched too thin.