It's a digital world & we all have potential billion dollar ideas. If only we could get them built and then raise funding and then go big.

If only !! It was so easy. Everybody would be a overnight billionaire. Building technology product is one of the most challenging tasks one can come across. And if one doesn't know how to code, It only gets tougher. You might try to befriend a techie and try to get him to do it for you. But what about the big fat paycheck he receives from the company he works for ?

Good techies are in huge demand with huge gap between supply and demand. Morever a CTO is not a quick short term engagement. It is the pillar on which your idea stands. Even if you convince a friend to code a prototype for you over a weekend, you need the expertise over a long period of time to build anything worth standing in market.

So in short you need a CTO to build a startup. It's all sweat and blood.

So. If you are not a techie, how do you decide if someone is a good potential CTO or not ?

  1. Long Term Approach - A CTO is a builder position. Think architect / artist / farmer. He is responsible for building systems which work in long term. Contrary to the short term approach in sales, he has to focus on
  2. Experience with startups / own projects - Well one can only build, if he has built before. Ask the potential candidate about his previous projects and
  3. Credentials -