From CTO to Alaner
Feedback from a startup CTO who joined Alan
It all started for me in 2015 when I partnered up with 6 other people and become the CTO of my own company. The goal of the company was to revolutionize the video game ecosystem, and the first step was e-sports. Financially and emotionally, we experienced ups and downs, including fundraising, hiring, and… lay-offs 😬. This beautiful adventure lasted for six years. Even though we were tired and it had to come to an end, we came out of it richer in knowledge.
And then what’s next? What should I do? What is my value in the market? For which position?
So, I naturally put myself in a new CTO position. For 1 year, the story repeated itself, recruiting a technical team and taking over a product developed by a team of freelancers. We solidified the foundations of the company, accounting, payroll, HR (setting up Alan 😉), configuring the machine park… In short, the classic package for a CTO in a very small startup.
But gradually, doubt sets in. And with a strong feeling of déjà vu, I wonder if I really wanted to continue. I have been doing the same thing for 7 years with a very small team and this is only my third experience. Do I really know the world of work and how it has evolved? How does it work elsewhere? So I started to look for, and little by little I understood that I needed to return to basics. Learn a new language, discover new ways of working in a team, be challenged (technically and managerially speaking), etc.
Then I tried to apply for the position with Alan.; the radiance of their corporate culture intrigued me, and I loved their product. I applied, the interview process impressed me, it worked out, and I was hired as a software engineer 🎉.
So here I am, propelled into a new adventure. The big question that occupied my mind is: as a former CTO, will I be able to find my place? Almost 8 months later, I can say, the answer is yes! And I even found what I liked before. Let me explain.
As a CTO, what mattered to me was:
- Let’s move things forward. Let’s apply the strategy and vision in order to test it. Perfect! Here we can be scrappy first! No need to think of everything as long as we put in place success/failure indicators and involve the right people (such as data security).
- Having the ability to interact with the entire stack. Excellent! Any developer can perform a terraform apply, access the AWS console, most external services are accessible with Google Auth, and in case they are not, a ping on Slack and access is granted in the following hours.
- Being able to make decisions. Whether it’s about implementing code, introducing a new feature, or choosing an external service, it’s possible. A well-argued post on Slack may be enough, and for the most impactful decisions, a constructive and maintained discussion allows weighing the pros and cons to make the right choice.
- Contribute to the company’s strategy. This point is subtle, and perception can vary depending on the number of employees in the company. But with over 500 Alaners, I still feel that each person can make a difference at their level, or even more depending on the level of involvement that each person has the opportunity to invest.
So I didn’t lose out on the deal 👍
This blend of transparency and trust is based on strong human convictions and it is understandable why recruitment is perceived as difficult. The level of autonomy and responsibility required is high, and it is necessary to find profiles that preserve and enhance this culture.
But it is not a bed of roses tough. Transparency means that it is necessary to know how to distinguish things, when you have access to everything, it is easy to drown in information. The culture of inclusion implies that if we want everyone to have access to this information, it must be written and over-communicated. For me, this is the most difficult part because I have been used to face-to-face and impromptu meetings, the effort is higher. However, going back would be very difficult as the benefits are significant. Better focus for everyone, fewer misunderstandings, fewer surprises, and even if sometimes it seems to lose speed, it is a gain in the long term.
Once acclimated to the company culture, I realized that I still do many things that I used to do as a CTO and it’s enjoyable to do them with a great team.
