I spent last week interviewing short listed CTOs for a Series A company. And it reminded me why in-person meetings still matter, and why neutral ground is my favourite place for interviews rather than a stuffy boardroom or video calls. Here’s why:
What you learn face to face
First off, you learn things about someone face to face that you’ll never get online, especially when you’re looking to make exec hires. Things like how how they present, would they be suitable for meeting investors … things you couldn’t learn from video calls.
And today, when there’s such a broad range of CTOs to choose from - from board-ready strategists, hands-on coders/player managers, to sector specialists, or the increasingly-requested-but-still-undefined ‘AI-ready’ CTO - these in-person meets are particularly valuable.
What they were actually looking for
The client I’m working with remarked that seeing a selection of candidates in person helped refine what they were actually looking for, and what they ended up wanting was not the on-paper brief they’d started with.
Suddenly it’s less “10 years’ experience in Fintech” and more “actually, I need someone who can hold their own with the board” or “I really want someone who still wants to write code and be a player manager.” This all comes out in person.
Start with chemistry meetings
And potential candidates get to size up the company too. In-demand CTOs have plenty of choices, so making sure the chemistry fit is right for everyone is critical.
This all reminded me why bringing candidates and clients together like this, over a coffee, a handshake, a proper conversation, is still my favourite part of the job.
Absolutely also include the technical assessments and business plans, but let’s start with chemistry meetings first.
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If you’re hiring for a CTO, let’s talk.