from Gergely Orosz | by Gergely Orosz

Thread on hiring CTOs, VP Engineering, Directors and Senior Eng Managers at startups (seed, Series A/B) Almost all these companies set JD requirements of having had a similar title/role before. Yet, some of the best CTOs / VPE / Directors I know were “plain” eng managers before.

A reality of engineering leadership is titles are not the least indicative of the job and environment. I know eng managers heading up 30-person groups, VPEs with 3 engineers, and Sr directors with 600. The title tells you little about the scale/impact of their work.

A major difference is when you’re a VPE / CTO, you are the highest ranked engineering leader. Your manager is usually non-technical (often the CEO) and you own everything engineering. As an eng manager, you report into someone technical and own a specific area within the org.

Going back to hiring: an engineering manager who has seen a large organisation work well is often a good candidate for an early-stage director or higher position because: 1. They know how to work with people 2. They have an idea where the org will grow 3. It’s a step-up for them

Let’s talk about compensation. Most people assume it’s like this: eng manager < director < VPE/CTO. However, even at Series A, a director/VPE will often make a lot less liquid compensation than an entry-level eng manager at a Tier 3 company. t.co/BHWctPBJLE

This is why early-stage startups would be wise to stay grounded and be realistic on who they need (typically: people who can manage 10-20 people) and who will be excited about a role like this (ones who see it as a step-up)

There you have it. If you’re an engineering manager in a place you can lear from other EMs/directors, you might be closer to a director eng / VPE / CTO position at an early-stage startup than you realize. And here’s advice to prepare becoming an EM: t.co/irKQAesS1V

Finally: most VPEs / CTOs / directors will be lonely. If it’s your first time, have your company pay for coaching: easily the best ROI you can invest in (vs making the very expensive mistakes that cost $$$ and lots of time to fix). Few coaches I recommend: @prla @adrukh @patkua