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Adam Genshaft
Adam Genshaft

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The path to seniority

Dream about one day becoming the CTO? Want more responsibility but are stuck in developing other people’s bugs into features? The path will surprise you.

For many years I’ve thought I’ma great developer since I get the technical things far and quickly. I thought that a developer is a mean code machine that mostly developer features.

Well, you probably already know that this attitude will take you so far.

The truth is that what I’ve described is no more then a code monkey, and that’s what I was for years.

My attitude started shifting after listening to Jocko Willink.

I realized that responsibility comes with great power, the power to influence others by communicative on an exceptional level.

Why do you think the CTO is trusted with the entire company? Since he’s the best coding monkey? Of course not. Being a good level on the company’s tech stack is a trivial thing after enough years of development. What separates the CTO is he’s identity as a part of the company, and his big picture perspective.

Not identifying as the company will make you look at your own good as if it’s separated from the organization, obviously if you’re the CTO it’s not.

The CTO is a critical part of the company, like a part of the brain. Imagine a part of your brain thinking it’s its own entity. Depending on how it happens, we’ll call it cancer or dementia.

Each part of your brain needs to work in the most effective way with the rest of you. Sane guess for the c level executive, Ave for every other role got that manager. If you’re not a post of the company, what is it that you do here? A salary? Bring…

I take part in the ongoing internet revolution, I’m a deliverer of technology, I do it using my work where we give a unique value to our customers.

What attitude you think will take you further?

If you’ve read so far let me tell you a secret, you already are the CTO of you’re task. Now that you know who you are, tell me, how good of a CTO are you?

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