CTOaaS: why your business needs it

In today’s technology-driven business landscape, having a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) on board may be a game-changer.

“A CTO is a person who can provide you with information about the essential technical aspects of a project at any time, even if they are woken up in the middle of the night,” says Emil Nowak, CTO of Happy Team.

In a blink of an eye, we may name the most important factors for startups to succeed: a great idea, a deep understanding of the target market, passion, the ability to execute a business plan, and last but not least, a solid technical background essential for creating and implementing innovative solutions. Emil explains, “As CTO, I help turn business ideas into successful technical solutions. It requires an understanding of the business needs, vast technological knowledge, and the ability to combine those two worlds to achieve the best outcome.”

While startups and small businesses need this kind of high-quality expertise, they may not be interested in hiring a full-time executive. That’s where CTO as a Service (CTOaaS) comes in.

“CTO as a Service is very cost-effective for organizations that lack in-house technical knowledge,” says Emil Nowak. “As a CTOaaS, I have worked with startups from Norway and Poland, supporting the company in translating business ideas into concrete technical solutions. With my twenty years of experience and knowledge of top-notch technologies, I can explain the pros and cons of various solutions and help the team make the best decisions.”

What can a CTO do for you?

Help you understand complex technical issues. Communicate technical information to non-technical stakeholders, such as executives and investors. Collaborate with you to ensure that technology aligns with your business. Support your decision-making process on which technologies to invest in. Create a roadmap that includes the big picture of your project, checkpoints, and milestones. Build teams of professionals, including software developers, data scientists, UX designers, and IT support staff. Support deployment and maintenance of the solution. There is no need to know complex programming languages or follow recent frameworks, tools, and cloud solutions. A CTO will guide you and help make decisions that would be best for your startup or initiative.

When to start a cooperation with a CTO?

A CTO can be of great support at any stage of the project. At the beginning, a CTO will help make informed decisions about the technology: no opportunity will be missed, and the risk of costly mistakes will be lowered. A CTO may also help attract investors who want to see a solid plan for the technical side of a business.

At later stages of the project, a CTO assures technical quality, performance optimization, and security. So, whether you’re just starting or already in the middle of a project, it’s never too late to seek the help of a CTO. With their expertise, you can navigate the ever-changing technology landscape with ease and confidence.

Is it just about technology?

The best CTOs empower teams to address challenges and solve problems. “As a mentor to both IT professionals and business managers, I focus on learning by doing and helping teams find solutions rather than doing everything myself,” Emil Nowak says. “ In one of our recent projects, we had to integrate a payment gateway with another system and ensure secure data exchange. I presented three possible solutions, and together with the team, we chose the best one. My goal is not only to succeed with the project, but also to form effective teams of independent professionals.”

How does CTO as a Service work?

Cooperation with a CTO as a Service typically begins with initial consultations, during which the CTO learns about the business goals and technical needs of a startup or company and proposes a project roadmap. The level of involvement can vary, but it is beneficial to use agile methodologies to ensure that technology aligns with business needs, the development process is transparent, and the product is delivered on time and within budget.

Collaboration with the team involves: Using agile frameworks such as Scrum or Kanban to manage the project, track progress, and adjust the scope as needed. Encouraging feedback from the team, stakeholders, and customers to continuously improve the product and the development process. Monitoring project metrics such as velocity, burn-down chart, and cycle time to ensure that the project is on track and identify areas for improvement.

Success Story:

Company: Evyon, Norway CTO as a Service: Emil Nowak, Happy Team

Evyon, a promising startup from Norway, had an innovative idea to repurpose second-life electric vehicle batteries into modular battery energy storage systems in a streamlined, safe, and cost-effective way. While they had the necessary hardware and technological expertise, they required software development to monitor installation location, estimated expiration date, and real-time performance of the batteries. Emil Nowak, working as a CTO as a Service, supported the IT team in developing the software from scratch, optimizing their effort and costs. He also played a crucial role in the recruitment process of developers, resulting in the formation of a software project team.

Today, Evyon has become a rapidly growing company with a mission “to revolutionize the reuse of batteries for a fully renewable future for everyone”.