A CTO Coach Directory

I've met many great CTO coaches. Wouldn't it be great if there was one place to find them? Here you go! ⤵️

As part of my mission to help CTOs, it's critical for anyone needing to know what support is available.

In my line of work, I meet many CTOs. I keep meeting CTOs who only recently became aware that CTO Coaches exist, let alone a growing number of them. That’s not their fault; there’s not that many of us, and most of us started doing this in the past few years.

To this end, I’ve compiled a quick directory of the CTO Coaches I’ve met over the past few years so that CTOs can find the best help for their situation. They also almost all post terrific content for CTOs to help themselves.

Some people asked me why I promote other CTO Coaches besides my business. It’s simple: My mission is to help CTOs, and the best thing for CTOs is to have options. Besides, if awareness of CTO Coaching grows, all CTOs and CTO coaches will benefit. After all, CTO Coaches exist in response to a specific set of needs.

If those needs can be recognised by CTOs, which is not always the case because people can experience challenges but sometimes struggle to name them or know why they are feeling like they are, then they are a step closer to seeking help.

If they also know that help for these challenges exists, they are another step closer. Finally, if they are aware of common reasons why CTOs may reject such help, such as some of the reasons I covered in Common Concerns for CTOs Considering A Coach, they may have a greater chance to overcome these and be another step closer. As I’ve shared in a few recent podcast interviews, I refused help initially when offered early in my first CTO role, which was for some of the reasons covered in that post. I eventually accepted some help and, in doing so, found some faster progress. CTOs can find success faster than I did with this help.

So, there’s a great benefit in helping CTOs be more aware of the available support. Like with Kris Kringle, the Macy’s store Santa (who may be the actual Santa) in the classic film A Miracle on 34th Street, Macy’s management initially is alarmed when Kris starts directing people to stores other than the one he works for to find the presents the kids request. Is he mad? They will spend their money elsewhere!? However, the managers soon changed their view when they saw the crowds growing to visit Kris and the spending at Macy’s increasing.

It’s an absolute classic film and might offer some insights into commercialism and, paradoxically, marketing. I found this Ethics Alarms post to be a hilarious review of the film.

Introduction to the CTO Coach Directory

Increasingly, there is an offshoot from traditional leadership coaching aimed more directly at CTOs, which we can call ‘CTO Coaching’. Many of these coaches (but not all) are ex-CTOs with a tailored set of material and complimentary experiences that directly address the challenges faced by CTOs.

This niche has emerged because CTOs are less likely to seek help, less likely to have relevant help available, and have arguably one of the most challenging executive roles today. A more tailored approach to the audience helps reach the audience through relevant experience, empathy of the situation, common language and other factors. The ability to empathise with the worries and pressures CTOs are under is a key element.

As a CTO Coach and co-host of a show dedicated to helping CTOs, I’ve had the privilege of meeting many of my peers. Here’s a directory of the CTO Coaches I am aware of globally. It's likely not yet comprehensive, so let me know who I’ve missed.

Someone missing? Let me know!

Plans for Great CTO this year

The goal is to publish at least one free post weekly. Thus far, I have had some weeks with a couple of posts and some with only a paid post and no free post as I’ve worked through editing old posts, writing a few different series of posts, and writing for other publications.

I have more posts coming (including another post for paid subscribers this week) and will return to a regular posting schedule soon. As I mentioned, I’ve been writing longer posts for another publication and will make these posts with additional editing and enhancement available for paid subscribers. I also have many free posts near completion, which will be posted over the coming weeks.

The vast majority of this publication’s content is free so that CTOs and aspiring CTOs have access to the information they need to succeed. The small sections of posts I’ve put behind the paywall and the small number of posts that are entirely behind the paywall are usually oriented around information of convenience. Either convenience because the method is implied by the free portion of the post or because the post is available elsewhere on the internet.

Support this publication by subscribing so I can cover the costs of some of the tools I use to support my content creation, such as Canva, Grammarly, and the other tools in my business toolbelt. Here’s a discount for first-time subscribers: