Episode materials: the first 90 days as CTO
I have collected the materials for my solo Code of Leadership episode, “The First 90 Days as CTO.” The livestream took place on September 9, 2026, as an extended version of the talk I gave at a Stratoplan event. My starting point is that the first working day is already the midpoint of the transition. You have chosen the company, expectations have formed, and some decision rights have already been agreed. Others may have been left for later. That “later” can become the most interesting part of the probation period :)
In the episode, I covered: - What the CTO title actually means. Chief architect, product partner, scaling leader, and the person brought in to handle a crisis are very different jobs. How to identify which one the company needs and trace the connection between technology and the economics of the business. - What to agree before joining. The outcomes expected after 30 and 90 days, what you can change independently, the available budget and hiring authority, and who will support the changes. Internal promotions need this too: knowing the company does not make the agreement obvious. - How to spend the first month. Who to speak with, which working processes to observe, and how to separate facts from other people's interpretations. “At my previous company, we did it this way” can obscure how the new organization works. Urgent threats to security and business continuity still need action before the diagnosis is complete. - What to focus on during days 30–90. One or two changes with a clear problem, an owner, and an observable outcome. How to test a hypothesis within the probation period, earn trust, and avoid making every decision depend on you. - What to do when promises diverge from reality. The mandate shrinks, the budget never arrives, or support disappears. How to name the gap, document it, and set a deadline for a new agreement while accountability can still be brought into line with authority.
My framing is that the company is on probation too. It has to show whether you can actually solve the problem you were hired to address.
Episode materials: 📌 Episode page with timestamps and talk slides 📖 Longread on transitioning into a CTO role 🎬 YouTube, VK Video 🎧 Podster, Yandex Music, Apple Podcasts 📝 Livestream recap
Which agreement proved most important when you took on a leadership role, or turned out to be something you should have discussed beforehand? Share your examples in the comments.
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