The point where growing businesses realise they need a CTO

There is a point in most growing businesses where technology stops being straightforward.

In the early stages, things are simple enough. You choose a few tools, bring in a vendor when needed, and make decisions as you go. It works because the business is still small enough for everything to be manageable.

Then things start to shift. Costs begin to creep up, but it is not always obvious what is driving them. More systems get introduced. Different vendors are solving different problems. Projects take longer than expected, or deliver something slightly off what was intended.

Nothing is completely broken, but it starts to feel harder to stay on top of things. Technology is no longer just supporting the business. It is influencing cost, risk, and performance in a much more direct way. At this stage, most businesses assume they have a technology problem.

In reality, they usually have a decision-making problem.

There is no clear ownership. Decisions are made in isolation. Investments are not always connected to a broader plan. Some things get over-engineered, others are undercooked.

Over time, this creates friction across the business. Not always visible, but always there.

This is usually when the question comes up.

Do we need a CTO? For many businesses, the honest answer is yes. But hiring a full-time CTO often feels like a step too far. The cost does not quite line up with where the business is today. So the gap remains.

What is needed at this point is not more tools or more delivery. It is someone who can step back and connect the dots. Someone who can look at investment decisions, vendor choices, delivery plans, and risk exposure as part of the same picture. Someone who can bring structure to how decisions are made, not just react to them.

The real shift is not in the technology itself, it is in the role it plays in the business. Businesses that recognise that shift early tend to avoid a lot of unnecessary cost and complexity later on.