- Introduction
- Who is this book for?
- The Startup Ride for CTOs
- The Phase Trap
- Act I – Misalignment
- Act II – The Reset
- Act III – Traction
- 7P Startup Phases Model
- The Five Core Phases
- Alignment
- 1. Ideation
- 2. Prototype
- 3. MVP
- 4. PMF
- 5. Traction
- 6. Hyper Growth
- 7. Cash Cow
- S-Curve and the 7P Model
- 7P Model and the S-Curve
- Explorers, Villagers, and Town Planners
- B2B vs. B2C with 7P
- B2B/B2B2C
- B2C
- Comparison
- B2C Hardware
- The CTO in 7P
- The CTO role
- Transformations for Phases
- Joining a startup on their 7P journey
- Getting off the 7P train
- How Growth Changes Technology
- Absolute vs Percentage Growth
- Everything Gets Slower When You Grow
- Complex Architectures
- What You Can Do
- 7P and VC-Investments
- Leaving 7P: Exit and Being Acquired
- Other Models and 7P
- Crossing the Chasm
- Greiner Growth Curve
- T2D3 Hyper Growth
- CTO Coaching
- About the Author
- Introduction
Startup Phases For CTOs
Growth, Scale, Exit: A Practical CTO's Progression Guide
Do you know how your tech decisions shape your startup's destiny? Startup Phases For CTOs is the first practical guide specifically tailored for technology leaders navigating the unique stages of startup growth. Veteran CTO coach Stephan Schmidt draws from decades of firsthand experience to unveil how startup stages directly influence technology strategy, architecture, and team management. Learn why decisions that worked at the MVP phase become roadblocks when scaling, discover why hiring strategies shift dramatically after reaching product-market fit, and understand how to cross the critical chasm from early adopters to mainstream success. Packed with real-world insights, actionable advice, and proven frameworks, this book empowers CTOs and tech leaders to master the complexity of startup growth. Your startup’s future depends on your ability to lead through change—make sure you’re ready.
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Do you know how your tech decisions shape your startup's destiny? Startup Phases For CTOs is the first practical guide specifically tailored for technology leaders navigating the unique stages of startup growth. Veteran CTO coach Stephan Schmidt draws from decades of firsthand experience to unveil how startup stages directly influence technology strategy, architecture, and team management. Learn why decisions that worked at the MVP phase become roadblocks when scaling, discover why hiring strategies shift dramatically after reaching product-market fit, and understand how to cross the critical chasm from early adopters to mainstream success. Packed with real-world insights, actionable advice, and proven frameworks, this book empowers CTOs and tech leaders to master the complexity of startup growth. Your startup’s future depends on your ability to lead through change—make sure you’re ready.
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About the Book
In Startup Phases For CTOs, Stephan Schmidt brings decades of hard-won experience as an engineering manager, CTO, and CTO coach to illuminate the often misunderstood relationship between technology, business models, and the different phases startups experience. By defining seven clear startup stages—from Ideation and Prototype through MVP, Product-Market Fit, and Scaling, all the way to Profitability and becoming a Cash Cow—Schmidt offers invaluable context tailored specifically for CTOs.
Drawing from practical examples and years of hands-on leadership, this book breaks down why technology decisions must evolve alongside the startup's growth trajectory. Readers learn how to adapt their tech strategies as their companies shift from custom-built solutions to scalable products, manage the increasing complexity of growing architectures, and avoid common pitfalls like dependency paralysis and stagnation caused by bloated feature sets.
Startup Phases for CTOs is a guidebook designed to transform good tech leaders into great ones, equipped not just to survive startup growth but to actively shape it. Whether you're an aspiring CTO at the start of your journey or an experienced leader navigating rapid growth, this book provides the essential insights and strategies you need to lead confidently, innovate sustainably, and drive your startup to lasting success.
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About the Author
Stephan Schmidt
Stephan Schmidt launched his tech career as a self-taught coder, mastering the art of programming as a kid in a department store back in 1981 with ambitions of creating video games. His passion for technology led him to university, where he delved into computer science, specializing in distributed systems and artificial intelligence, while also exploring the realms of philosophy. With the dawn of the internet era in Germany during the 1990s, Stephan became a pioneering coder and engineering manager for several startups.His journey in the tech world expanded as he founded a venture capital-funded startup and tackled architecture, processes, and growth challenges in various fast-growing VC-backed companies.
His roles have included engineering manager at ImmoScout24 and CTO of an eBay Inc. subsidiary. Following the successful sale of his wife’s startup, the couple relocated to the seaside, where Stephan embraced his role as a CTO coach, guiding technology leaders through the intricacies of their evolving roles.
Episode 294
An Interview with Stephan Schmidt
Contents
Table of Contents
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