[Verse 1] Four paths to lead the technical way Infrastructure, Product, People, Vision they say Most CTOs blend two or three together Building systems that will last forever The Infrastructure CTO keeps servers running strong Operations, scaling, costs - they've got it going on At large companies where complexity grows They optimize the systems that nobody knows [Chorus] Four archetypes, four different ways To lead technology through all your days Infrastructure, Product, People, Vision combined Choose your path but keep an open mind CTO or VP Engineering too Know which one fits and hire what you need to do [Verse 2] Product CTO stays close to customer needs Speed and iteration, that's how they succeed At startups where the product leads the way They synthesize technology every single day People CTO designs the culture right Talent magnet, builder, organizational sight Fifty to five hundred engineers strong They create the place where teams belong [Chorus] Four archetypes, four different ways To lead technology through all your days Infrastructure, Product, People, Vision combined Choose your path but keep an open mind CTO or VP Engineering too Know which one fits and hire what you need to do [Bridge] CTO looks outward, strategy and vision VPE looks inward, execution decision Small companies blend them into one Larger companies split when scaling's begun [Verse 3] Four career paths lead you to the top Senior Engineer to Staff, don't ever stop Management track from Engineer to VP Or start as Founder, learn what you need to be Consulting and Architecture, industry wise All roads can lead to that CTO prize Read the handbook, think in systems clear Effective habits will get you there [Outro] Visionary CTO thinks long and far Deep tech and enterprise, you'll be the star External facing, thought leadership's call Four archetypes, but you can be them all
← 3 Continuous Learning | Pre-Product-Market Fit (0–10 engineers) →