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CTO Fundamentals

Lead technology strategy. Master Build vs Buy decisions, technical debt management, and executive communication for growth-stage startups.

Being a CTO is about business strategy as much as technology. This course covers the strategic decisions that define a company's trajectory. You will learn to evaluate 'Build vs Buy' decisions to save years of dev time. Master communicating technical risks (like tech debt) to non-technical boards and CEOs. We cover structuring engineering organizations, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring compliance (SOC2/ISO) as you scale. The ultimate playbook for technical executives.

✅ 100% Free & Lifetime Access
⏱️ 5-Minute Lessons (Bite-sized learning)
🚀 21-Lesson Path (Independent modules)
📱 Mobile Friendly (Learn anywhere)
Startup CTOs
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Secure Enrollment via SSL

Complete Course Syllabus

  • 1
    Role of the CTO
    Visionary vs Operator modes in startups.
  • 2
    Build vs Buy
    Frameworks for deciding when to use SaaS.
  • 3
    Tech Debt Strategy
    Explaining and paying down debt strategically.
  • 4
    Org Structure
    Designing teams: Feature vs Component squads.
  • 5
    Executive Comms
    Presenting to the Board without jargon.

Estimated completion time: 21 lessons • Self-paced learning • Lifetime access

Career Outlook

Estimated Salary
$180k - $300k

Career Paths

Chief Technology Officer $200k-$350k+
VP of Technology $190k-$300k
Technical Co-Founder Equity heavy

What You Will Learn

Make data-driven Build vs Buy technology decisions
Communicate technical strategy to the Board and Investors
Structure and scale engineering organizations efficiently
Manage technical debt as a financial portfolio
Oversee compliance and security audits (SOC2)

Skills You Will Gain

Tech Strategy Executive Communication Budgeting Org Design Vendor Management

Who Is This For

Startup CTOs
VP Engineering
Founding Engineers

Prerequisites

Tech Lead / Architect Exp

CTO Fundamentals FAQs

Startup focus?

Yes, primarily Series A to C growth stages.

Technical?

Strategic focus, but assumes deep tech background.

Budgeting?

Yes, managing cloud spend and headcount costs.

Solo founders?

Yes, helps structure the roadmap early on.

Need more info?
All Reork courses are 100% free, self-paced, and fully accessible on mobile devices. No prior experience is required. Read our full Platform FAQ.

Tech Stack & Tools

Excel
Keynote
Jira (Roadmaps)
AWS Cost Explorer

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