Hiring Your First Tech Leader

"We need a CTO."

"No, we need a CIO."

"…What's the difference?"

They're different jobs, and hiring the wrong one is one of the most expensive mistakes a growing company makes. It doesn't just cost a salary. It costs you the year it takes to notice.

This kit takes you from "we need someone senior in technology" to a hire you can be confident in.

What's in it

• Which job are you hiring for? Tick the statements that are true for you today, and see whether they point to a CTO, a CIO, an IT manager, or a fractional or interim leader for now.
• Four jobs, side by side: what each one does, owns and is measured by, who owns AI, and what the wrong hire looks like.
• The role scorecard: why now, three outcomes you could check in twelve months, what they will and won't own, the must-haves, and who interviews for what. If you can't fill it in, you're not ready to recruit.
• What to ask: ten interview questions, for every candidate and then for a CTO or a CIO, each with what to listen for and the red flag, plus a work sample for your finalists.
• Choosing and starting: a scoring sheet, red flags, questions for references, and what the first 90 days should look like, including what you owe them.

Who it's for

CEOs, owners and boards of growing companies hiring their first senior technology leader, or replacing one and wondering whether it's the same job this time.

It builds on CTO or CIO? How to Tell Which One Your Company Actually Needs and Do You Need a CIO, or Just CIO-Level Thinking?.

It's a 5-page PDF, made to print and write on.