CTO

Hiring Rapidly and Time Efficiently

This article outlines the steps taken to rapidly hire engineers while maintaining quality. The author front-loaded the design, coordination, and preparation of the hiring funnel, set up hiring teams, and treated the hiring process as a product. Three metrics were used to measure success: percentage of hires from referrals, time taken to make a decision, and face-to-face interviews to hire ratio. The author also reduced the interviewing process to four hours and in one session. Lessons learned include the importance of treating the hiring process as a product, not letting quality fall to the wayside, and understanding that every hiring process is unique.

Scaling Engineering @ Trustly

Trustly has seen significant growth in Europe and North America over the past year, with North America now representing close to half of total group revenue. In response, the Engineering team has doubled in size, expanding to 109 full-time employees across Brazil, Portugal, and the US. The team has evolved their road mapping and planning processes, and formalized the idea of a Technology Tribe to dedicate Engineering resources for Scalability, Reliability, Security, and Resiliency. The team looks forward to continued growth and evolution in 2022.

To Contractor or not to contractor? Pros and cons of putting off full time hiring.

Rogue Rocket was founded in 2011 with the goal of staying lean and hiring staff on a project-needs basis. They used contractors to fill positions and minimize cash flow risk, and eventually made a few full-time hires. The strategy was to create great products and maximize quality and creativity, but this may not be a wise choice in the current business environment due to the shortage of skilled technical personnel. Companies must decide on the best strategy for their needs.

Hiring En Masse

When hiring a large number of people, it is beneficial to look for existing teams that are looking for a new opportunity, such as those from companies that are going out of business or pivoting to a different sector. Keeping an eye on these opportunities, acting fast, and having an informal meeting with the whole group can help to build relationships and create a unified team. Communication and honest feedback are key to success, and it is important to remember that hiring a group of technically gifted people does not automatically make a good team.

The State of Women in Tech

This article discusses the lack of women in the tech industry and the barriers that keep them out. It suggests that companies need to create more female-friendly environments, provide improved working incentives, and encourage young girls to pursue computer science. Additionally, it highlights the fact that women-led tech startups receive 16 times less funding than those led by men. The article concludes by emphasizing the need to break down the institutional barriers that keep women out of the tech industry.

Discovering Non-Traditional Pathways to Success

This is the story of a software engineering intern who, without a college degree, worked his way up to become the CTO/co-founder of a startup. He began tinkering with technology in middle school and continued to develop his skills in high school and college. He joined a startup through an online tech group and worked with the CEO to develop a product that would give users cashback rewards for paying with their bank. Through many iterations, he grew into the team lead position and eventually the VP of engineering, helping to manage the product and find the right product-market fit.