Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#1

Post by unhappycto » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 12:45 PM UTC

I recently joined a startup as their CTO and I'm hating it. They've been around a few years and have product market fit and now need technical leadership to grow the team and product.

It's my first senior management position, having been heavily code focused the last 12 years, with some small management as a senior/lead.

For my entire career I feel as though I've been working towards being the CTO and now I'm here I find it's not at all what I expected. It seems to be mostly about dealing with everyone's crap, trying to fight fires and constantly battling with the other managers and tech team to get things done. I haven't even written a line of code in months.

Over the past few years I've had a few gaps in my career where I have started my own business and been fully in charge of things. Those times were amazing although I never reached any level of sustainability. I thought perhaps being CTO in a startup would give me some of that same ownership, control and enjoyment but it just feels like another job. I actually feel a bit depressed by the whole thing which is a new sensation for me and my personality.

Am I expecting too much? Is it simply another job? What can I do to fix this or should I leave and get back to a coding job?

I'd love to hear from people with similar experiences!

PS. Sorry for the throwaway account but my main account has too much personal info for this topic!

Re: Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#2

Post by amelius » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 1:08 PM UTC

Can you re-architect the product from scratch? This should be doable if the raw building blocks (modules etc.) are properly designed and easily incorporated into a new design. If this is not the case, then all the more reason to rewrite the code!

Re: Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#3

Post by countryqt30 » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 1:09 PM UTC

Did you really think being CTO means writing a lot of code? :D

Re: Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#4

Post by drcongo » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 1:10 PM UTC

This is one of life's conundrums. Work hard at getting really good at doing something you love doing, and then stop doing it. My advice would be to find someone or some people that are the adjacent jigsaw pieces to you - a set of skills you don't have, maybe it's the stuff that was missing previous times you ran your own businesses – and then start a business with these people where you can carry on doing the thing you love. For me, I had to do it with someone who had all the networking and new business skills that I so painfully lack.

Re: Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#5

Post by ninjaa » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 1:11 PM UTC

I took up a job as CTO after being a lead developer and junior partner at a bunch of startups. OMG what a punishment.

I've now resolved to just go out on my own because it's too painful working for anyone else in this curious position of great responsibility but not enough power.

Re: Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#6

Post by rajanchandi » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 1:11 PM UTC

Key question is WHY did you take up this job in the first place? Do you really believe in the mission of this company or just the CTO title and a lucrative pay attracted you here. If you truly believe in the mission of the company, you're doing the right thing by taking all crap and making progress towards end goals. You are probably not coding because your time is better spent doing what you're doing now. Will you make more difference to the world if you went back to the coding role?

Re: Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#7

Post by Kequc » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 1:12 PM UTC

[Not the right community for discussion and you can't delete old hacker news posts so let me nip this in the bud.]

Re: Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#8

Post by jpendry » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 1:13 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #2

Can you re-architect the product from scratch? This should be doable if the raw building blocks (modules etc.) are properly designed and easily incorporated into a new design. If this is not the case, then all the more reason to rewrite the code!

OP not enjoying the CTO role doesn't mean he/she should waste company resources for their own amusement.

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000069.html

Re: Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#9

Post by filvdg » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 1:13 PM UTC

Maybe this transition comes too soon but moving from coding in to management is a normal progression. It is another job , but in general it values the same qualities you should have as a coder: Understanding the dynamics of the situation and finding the best solution to get the job done. As CTO you should have the flexibility to find other people to help in the things you hate the most and focus on the fun parts.

Re: Ask HN: I don't enjoy being a CTO. Now what?

#10

Post by karterk » Mon, Jun 13, 2016, 1:13 PM UTC

> I haven't even written a line of code in months.

CTOs generally don't write code. But, in a typical startup designations don't matter so much. How different is your current role from the one you were offered during the negotiations?

> I thought perhaps being CTO in a startup would give me some of that same ownership, control and enjoyment but it just feels like another job.

Do you feel connected to the overall vision of the company? If you did, then you should look at the things you're unhappy with as bumps on a road worth traveling.

Since you do have the ownership (through your designation), you have power to change things that bother you. It's only when you start making visible impact, you will start truly belonging.

Finally, I would urge you to talk to other senior folks in the company openly about what's bothering you. Maybe you are missing another perspective that they will be happy to share with you.