Start From a Role-Specific Scorecard and Replace the Measures
Eight scorecards for CTO roles: startup, founder replacement, growth and scale, SME, business unit, enterprise, a regulated overlay, and fractional or interim.
Companion to The CTO You Actually Need · Updated 2026-09-29
Use these scorecards as starting points. Replace measures with evidence relevant to the mandate. Never apply every row to every CTO.
In this section
- Score a Startup First CTO on Six Dimensions
A six-dimension scorecard for a startup’s first CTO, with hiring evidence and 90-day, 180-day, and one-year results.
- Score a Replacement for a Founding CTO on Four Dimensions
A four-dimension scorecard for replacing a founding CTO, with hiring evidence and 90-day, 180-day, and one-year results.
- Score a Growth and Scale CTO on Five Dimensions
A five-dimension scorecard for a growth and scale CTO, with hiring evidence and 90-day, 180-day, and one-year results.
- Score an SME CTO on Five Dimensions
A five-dimension scorecard for an SME CTO, with hiring evidence and 90-day, 180-day, and one-year results.
- Score a Business-Unit CTO on Four Dimensions
A four-dimension scorecard for a business-unit CTO, with hiring evidence and 90-day, 180-day, and one-year results.
- Score an Enterprise or Group CTO on Five Dimensions
A five-dimension scorecard for an enterprise or group CTO, with hiring evidence and 90-day, 180-day, and one-year results.
- Add Four Dimensions for Regulated and Cyber-Physical Roles
Four dimensions to add to a base scorecard when the role is regulated, safety-critical, or hardware-software.
- Score a Fractional or Interim CTO on Five Dimensions
A five-dimension scorecard for a fractional or interim CTO, with 60-day, 120-to-180-day, and end-of-engagement results.