It's a Long Way to the Top If You Wanna CTO
summary
Career advice that centers on concrete trade-offs: choose between IC and management using Nick Caldwell’s Voigt Comp idea, stay technical via code reviews and design discussions, and prioritize sponsors who will take big bets on you. Examples: cofounding a startup that failed teaches explicit lessons, moving from managing 125 people down to 25–50 changes day-to-day scope, and accepting a cash pay cut for equity is common. Practical habits that work include dogfooding product, breathwork, strength training and deliberate networking.
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chapters (20)
- 0:00Intro
- 0:40Presentation Overview
- 2:26Who do you want to be
- 8:41Optimizing for your career
- 14:08Finding the right place
- 17:25Music
- 18:04Culture and Values
- 19:49The Halo Effect
- 22:47Leaving Early
- 25:16Use Your Network
- 26:19Never Burn a Bridge
- 27:05Interlude
- 27:56Networking
- 28:57Teaching
- 29:31Brand Building
- 31:06Storytelling
- 34:48Burnout
- 36:53Health and Wellness
- 38:37Conclusion
- 38:52QA
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