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Ask HN: How to deal with incompetent, obstructing CTO?

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Re: Ask HN: How to deal with incompetent, obstructing CTO?

#11

OP, this might be hard to hear but you are the problem. Your attitude and communication approach is clearly out of line. If you can't support the CTO and you can't influence them then there's no other option than for you to quit.

I appreciate your advice.

Saying he is the problem is just as non-constructive as saying I'm the problem.

People aren't problems, they're people.

Rather, I have a "me and my CTO" problem.

Judging by how my senior colleagues handle this by saying "it's just a job" and not get upset, I can see how their "me and my CTO" problems are much smaller and don't overheat on a daily basis. However, since my ambitions don't align with saying "it's just a job", I am still looking for other options. Quitting is on the list, so thank you for spelling it out.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with incompetent, obstructing CTO?

#13

OP, this might be hard to hear but you are the problem. Your attitude and communication approach is clearly out of line. If you can't support the CTO and you can't influence them then there's no other option than for you to quit.

I appreciate your advice. Saying he is the problem is just as non-constructive as saying I'm the problem. People aren't problems, they're people. Rather, I have a "me and my CTO" problem. Judging by how my senior colleagues handle this by saying "it's just a job" and not get upset, I can see how their "me and my CTO" problems are much smaller and don't overheat on a daily basis. However, since my ambitions don't alig…

[flagged]

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with incompetent, obstructing CTO?

#14

OP, this might be hard to hear but you are the problem. Your attitude and communication approach is clearly out of line. If you can't support the CTO and you can't influence them then there's no other option than for you to quit.

I appreciate your advice. Saying he is the problem is just as non-constructive as saying I'm the problem. People aren't problems, they're people. Rather, I have a "me and my CTO" problem. Judging by how my senior colleagues handle this by saying "it's just a job" and not get upset, I can see how their "me and my CTO" problems are much smaller and don't overheat on a daily basis. However, since my ambitions don't alig…

Well, you could just escape the situation and switch jobs but there are so many poor leaders out there that this same problem is probably going to manifest itself in your life again in some form, sooner or later. I would say it's more useful to learn to navigate such a situation. I would refer to Jocko Willink's advice on this as he's the real expert in leadership. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp4hvVZFnfg

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with incompetent, obstructing CTO?

#15

OP, this might be hard to hear but you are the problem. Your attitude and communication approach is clearly out of line. If you can't support the CTO and you can't influence them then there's no other option than for you to quit.

I have to agree.

If you are passive-aggressively tagging your CTOs ADRs then you could be part of the problem.

As an outsider, it would be hard to judge if this is just normal power-level/management bureaucracy stuff or unique to the CTO.

Everything your saying sounds fairly common TBH.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with incompetent, obstructing CTO?

#17
Patience. Your timeline doesn't align with the CTO's or the company 's timelines and that's upsetting you , apparently.

Your CTO seems like technically knowledgeable. He's trying to be hands-on. These 2-hour meetings to listen to "his ideas" could just be him trying to communicate better because he obviously sees you're not on the same page. You should cherish these meetings, not push back.

For any new leader, existing coworkers that are constantly pushing back is just the worst. If you think you can't change your mindset to be more cooperative and empathetic with your boss, it might be better to quit.

Finally, would you like to be the CTO of this company if given the opportunity today?

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with incompetent, obstructing CTO?

#18

OP, this might be hard to hear but you are the problem. Your attitude and communication approach is clearly out of line. If you can't support the CTO and you can't influence them then there's no other option than for you to quit.

I appreciate your advice. Saying he is the problem is just as non-constructive as saying I'm the problem. People aren't problems, they're people. Rather, I have a "me and my CTO" problem. Judging by how my senior colleagues handle this by saying "it's just a job" and not get upset, I can see how their "me and my CTO" problems are much smaller and don't overheat on a daily basis. However, since my ambitions don't alig…

you and your CTO problem is a you problem. From the POV of the CTO, your stubbornness might make him think you are responsible for the lack of results. You either quit or become cooperative if you want improvement.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with incompetent, obstructing CTO?

#19
I was in a similar situation a few months ago, in a job that started out amazing but got worse and worse with new management and processes. I quit eventually, after all my feedback was ignored (and even covered up) for months.

Four months of unemployment later, I was almost bankrupt, but it was still absolutely the right decision to have made. My mental health would not have survived much longer.

Now I'm in a much lower paying part-time job at a smaller company, but with a wonderful team that is passionate about what they do and supportive of each other. We're very user-focused and not C-suite ego driven, and it makes all the difference in the world. Tons of consumer interactions, minimal bureaucracy, no overbearing stupidity from on high. It's a night and day cultural difference from my last job, which was cushy but joyless. I'm really happy in this new setup (gotta get more hours soon though, lol).

Life's full of tradeoffs. I could've easily coasted, but I signed up to make a difference, not check boxes. I made the decision to quit, it hasn't been easy, but it was absolutely the right call and things are getting better every day. I'm actually excited about work again.

Side note, you mentioned batteries and inverters? My last job was with a mid sized solar manufacturer Who frankly wasn't that experienced with tech work and tried to clobber together an ecosystem from different small acquihires. It... was messy, to say the least. I've never worked for a more inefficient company, in terms of bureaucratic nonsense and worthless planning. Maybe it comes with the territory (old school manufacturing vs modern software companies)?

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with incompetent, obstructing CTO?

#20

OP, this might be hard to hear but you are the problem. Your attitude and communication approach is clearly out of line. If you can't support the CTO and you can't influence them then there's no other option than for you to quit.

I appreciate your advice. Saying he is the problem is just as non-constructive as saying I'm the problem. People aren't problems, they're people. Rather, I have a "me and my CTO" problem. Judging by how my senior colleagues handle this by saying "it's just a job" and not get upset, I can see how their "me and my CTO" problems are much smaller and don't overheat on a daily basis. However, since my ambitions don't alig…

Have you thought about taking on the role of CTO?

Not sure if it's a possibility or something you even want, but it sounds like you're invested and have thoughts around the role.

Maybe if it comes to quitting..before you do that have a conversation with the CEO about taking on the role?

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