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The 7 Types of CTOs

At Become CTO, we focus on four key CTO roles—Founder, Startup, Scaleup, and Fractional CTOs—that reflect the stages of growth most technologists navigate in startups and scaling companies. These roles demand different approaches to leadership, from building a product from scratch to guiding multiple companies as a part-time strategic leader.

While our focus is on these first four types, we’ve listed all 7 types of CTOs for broader context. These are the lenses through which we view the CTO role. If this aligns with your vision, or if you’re looking to grow into one of these roles, let’s start working together to build your future as a technology leader.

Founder CTO: Leading from Day One 

  • Why: The Founder CTO is a technologist transitioning into leadership while building a product from scratch in the idea/pre-seed stage. Their role is to turn an idea into reality by developing the MVP and ensuring it aligns with the broader business vision. This CTO is often the architect of the initial product and sets the stage for future scalability. 
  • Key Focus: Building the MVP, making early technical decisions, aligning tech with business strategy, managing limited resources, and preparing for future growth. 

 

 Startup CTO: The First Dedicated Technology Leader 

  • Why: The Startup CTO steps in during the seed stage as the first full-time technical leader. With the product already in development, this CTO leads the technical strategy, scales the product, and builds the initial engineering team. Their role is about driving technical execution while aligning it with evolving business goals. 
  • Key Focus: Scaling the product, growing the team, defining the technology stack, setting up processes, and aligning tech with business objectives. 

 

Scaleup CTO: Driving 10x Growth 

  • Why: The Scaleup CTO takes charge when the startup has achieved product-market fit and is scaling aggressively. Their role focuses on building scalable infrastructure, managing larger teams, and ensuring the product can handle increased demand while maintaining quality and performance. This CTO is no longer hands-on but leads strategic technical growth. 
  • Key Focus: Scaling infrastructure, managing larger engineering teams, ensuring performance and reliability, driving innovation, and aligning technology with long-term business goals. 

 

Fractional CTO: Part-Time Strategic Leadership 

  • Why: The Fractional CTO provides high-level technical expertise to multiple companies on a part-time or consulting basis. Often engaged by startups or growing businesses that need strategic technology guidance but cannot afford or don’t require a full-time CTO. They bring in critical expertise to shape the technology roadmap without the overhead of a full-time role. 
  • Key Focus: Offering strategic direction, advising on critical technology decisions, helping with team setup and growth, and ensuring systems are scalable—all while working across multiple organisations on a flexible basis. 

 

Shepherd CTO: Nurturing Stability and Security 

  • Why: The Shepherd CTO is a guardian of stability, security, and operational excellence. They are most valuable when a company’s technology infrastructure is in place but needs careful management and continuous improvement. They ensure that systems are reliable and secure, and that the team is supported and nurtured. 
  • Key Focus: Ensuring system stability and security, fostering a supportive engineering culture, maintaining operational excellence, and guiding teams toward sustainable long-term success. 

 

 Maverick CTO: Championing Innovation and Disruption 

  • Why: The Maverick CTO is a risk-taker and innovator, unafraid to challenge the status quo and drive bold technological changes. They thrive in fast-moving, competitive environments where staying ahead requires cutting-edge solutions and disruptive thinking. This CTO focuses on pushing boundaries and embracing new technologies to keep the company at the forefront. 
  • Key Focus: Driving innovation, implementing disruptive technologies, taking calculated risks, fostering a culture of experimentation, and staying ahead of market trends. 

 

Alchemist CTO: Transforming Chaos into Order 

  • Why: The Alchemist CTO specialises in turning fragmented, chaotic systems into streamlined, high-performing operations. They are ideal for companies going through mergers, acquisitions, or major transitions, where integrating disparate technologies and teams is critical. This CTO’s role is to bring structure and efficiency to complex environments. 
  • Key Focus: Integrating and streamlining disparate systems, managing large-scale transformations, aligning fragmented technologies with business goals, and ensuring a cohesive, efficient technology ecosystem.