CTO Readiness Levels
The role of CTO evolves and differs in various stages of a company's growth. As a consequence, it’s not always easy for companies to accurately describe what they expect from a CTO. Inversely, it’s not always easy for a CTO to gauge whether they will fit into a company. Some people will perform well in every stage of growth, but they are not very common. Most people thrive best in a particular phase.
To improve the communication about expectations between company and CTO, we define "CTO Readiness Levels". In each company, the role of CTO is filled in differently, but it should be clear that a company looking for a "Level 1" CTO wants someone different than a company seeking a "Level 7" CTO.