Ask HN: Should CTOs Code?

Post by elyrly » Tue, Aug 19, 2014, 11:05 PM UTC

angersock wrote: post #11

j_p_g wrote: post #8

As someone who came up as mostly a non-coder, I now believe that every employee of a startup should commit code. When CTOs don't code, I think of them as glorified managers, not true technologists. If the don't have an insatiable desire to create technology, then they should be in a different role. Also: would it be wrong of me to out OP as a prominent CTO?

Which one, or at least which company? :) Anyways, I think that CTOs should code until their organization is large enough that they are off of the frontlines and can manage their engineers to make progress. When the company grows further, they can focus on new technologies, pet projects, and pinch hitting. Once they're technologically behind the curve, they should move on to a new thing. My intuition is that a CTO kin…

Post by angersock » Wed, Aug 20, 2014, 3:14 AM UTC

elyrly wrote: post #21

angersock wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which one, or at least which company? :) Anyways, I think that CTOs should code until their organization is large enough that they are off of the frontlines and can manage their engineers to make progress. When the company grows further, they can focus on new technologies, pet projects, and pinch hitting. Once they're technologically behind the curve, they should move on to a new thing. My intuition is that a CTO kin…

I should hire 150+ engineers oversea and get that Yacht-time tonight.