Case Study Chronicles

AgileX Solutions, a leading Software as a Service (SaaS) company encounters a significant challenge when its non-technical Chief Executive Officer (CEO) mandates the use of quantitative metrics to gauge the engineering team’s performance.
This requirement starkly contrasts with the perspective of the Head of Engineering (HoE), who advocates for a more nuanced, holistic evaluation approach.

This case study spotlights the need for harmonising business drive and technical stability, managing technical debt, fostering team resilience and responding effectively to crises. It invites readers to contribute ideas for better CEO-CTO alignment and ends as a parable warning of the dangers of strategic misalignment in tech companies.

Mia, an Engineering Manager, has led her team through several successful product launches, earning praise for their creativity and dedication. However, a challenge from senior management casts a shadow over these achievements.
The team’s hard work is starting to take its toll, not due to Mia’s leadership but from the VP of Engineering’s intense pressure for continuous success, which is silently wearing the team down.

In a rapidly growing technology company, the engineering, product and platform teams exhibit significantly different senses of urgency regarding project delivery and innovation. This misalignment leads to delays, frustration, inefficient workflows and, ultimately, loss of a competitive edge. Our Global CTO Community offers actionable advice.

The CTO of a start-up is facing a challenge with a Senior Engineer who, despite a promising start and strong technical skills, is delivering work far slower than expected. This situation has arisen after replacing a previous bad hire and deciding how to “delicately” proceed. Our Community offers advice.

An organisation has embarked on a new journey, setting cross-departmental objectives that necessitate seamless collaboration among the subteam leaders from different departments. A team lead, Anisha and her PM counterpart, Gabriella, are at the forefront of this challenge. But they are in conflict with each other.

Three months ago, Justin embarked on a pivotal journey as the new Head of Engineering at a startup, following the departure of the previous CTO. Commanding a team of eight, encompassing software developers and testers, Justin’s experience as a former team leader had primed him for this role. Yet, the path to leadership is often riddled with unexpected twists.