The Email That Got Me Promoted to CTO
How to negotiate like a pro
Moving up the ranks as an engineer is something that many accomplish. From the time I was nine years old, I wanted to be at the top of the technical ladder. My father gave me my first few lessons on how to be a pro; he ignited a fire in me that would burn until I stood at the post of CTO — several times.
Before I ever saw the words “Chief Technology Officer” written in an offer letter, I failed a lot. I paid my dues, slogging through 13 startups, building software, and growing businesses. I later found that my startup death march gave me all but one of the critical tools to be successful.
I recall my first interview for an engineering role. They thrust me to the bottom. They gave me the lowest-ranking title as a junior QA tester, although I interviewed to be an engineer. I recall being told, “I would receive my tasks after the real engineers were done talking.”
Still, I beamed with pride just to stand next to an engineer. It beat the trials of inner-city LA, and I stood in a building with a professional job no one in my family ever imagined. I sat in my broken chair, back to the bathroom, and began my quest to take a $41,000 a year opportunity and turn it into my dream job.
