How to Onboard a Fractional CTO in Your Business
How to Onboard a Fractional CTO in Your Business To effectively onboard a fractional CTO is to lay the groundwork for success in your company’s technology leadership. Just as clear and direct communication enhances productivity in software development, a well-planned onboarding process is important for integrating a fractional CTO into your team. This article will […]
How to Scale Software Teams: More Than Just Adding People
How to Scale Software Teams: More Than Just Adding People When you think about scaling software teams, it is easy to fall into the trap of simply adding more people and hoping for the best. But true scaling is an art form—it requires careful planning, clear communication, and a solid infrastructure of tools and processes […]
Ditch the Software Status Updates, Let the Work Speak for Itself
Ditch the Software Status Updates, Let the Work Speak for Itself Software development status updates are commonly adopted in software companies. While this can happen in various forms, at its core, it involves one or more people informing others about what has been accomplished and what is still pending on a particular software project. However, […]
Product & Engineering Execution Without Vision and Strategy
Product & Engineering Execution Without Vision and Strategy Product and engineering execution without vision and strategy is like navigating a ship without a purpose, leading to confusion, poor execution, and wasted resources. The underlying structure of a successful organization hinges on a clear direction and a strategic approach, which guide everything from overarching goals to […]
Why You Should Make Software Engineering Work Visible
Why You Should Make Software Engineering Work Visible When building software, where progress can often be invisible to the outside eye, the importance of making engineering work visible cannot be overstated. Unlike a physical construction site, where one can observe the ongoing work, software projects present unique challenges in terms of project management and oversight. […]
9 Benefits of Software Engineers Thinking Like Business People
9 Benefits of Software Engineers Thinking Like Business People Do the software engineers in your company engage in thinking like business people? If not, why is that? Many software organizations experience a degree of disconnect between the business side and the technical side of the company. Engineers are often isolated from the real-world challenges the […]
Why Would a Fractional CTO Advise a Founder to Delay an MVP?
Why Would a Fractional CTO Advise a Founder to Delay an MVP? Is there a good reason why a Fractional CTO might advise a founder to delay their MVP product? When we talk about launching a startup, the goal that often is top of mind is the launch of an “MVP,” or Minimum Viable Product. […]
Breaking the Cycle: Unrealistic Planning in Software Development
Breaking the Cycle: Unrealistic Planning in Software Development Unrealistic planning in software development is a relentless cycle that teams and companies can fall into. It begins with setting ambitious plans without fully grasping the true costs involved. When these plans inevitably stumble, months have already slipped by, leaving everyone puzzled about where things went wrong. […]
Outsourcing Software Development: Avoiding the Pitfalls
Outsourcing Software Development: Avoiding the Pitfalls Outsourcing software development is a strategy increasingly adopted by businesses seeking to enhance their capabilities, accelerate growth, and achieve competitive advantage. However, in my 23 years in the software industry I have witnessed, and also heard from others about, more failed outsourced development efforts than successful ones. Sadly the […]
10 Qualities of a True Partner Fractional CTO vs. a Contractor One
10 Qualities of a True Partner Fractional CTO vs. a Contractor One What are the qualities of a true partner Fractional CTO? Are they merely a contractor fulfilling a temporary role, or a person who becomes a true partner invested in the client’s success? The role of a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) has recently transcended […]