Why I Code as a CTO

6 months ago

Many CTOs stop coding as they become more senior, but the author continues to write substantial code.
The author categorizes their coding into three areas: long-horizon experimental projects, critical customer asks, and bugfixes.
Long-horizon projects allow the author to pursue new ideas that others can't due to organizational constraints.
Critical customer asks involve urgent needs that the author can address quickly due to their deep system knowledge.
Bugfixing helps the author maintain a mental map of the codebase and understand technical debt.
The author uses AI tools like Claude Code and Codex to enhance productivity but recognizes their limitations.
Coding keeps the author updated on what works, helps in strategic decisions, and maintains their technical intuition.
The author prefers coding over organizational tasks, delegating management to others who excel in those areas.
AI tools have increased the author's productivity, shifting their role from writing code to providing context and evaluating solutions.
The CTO role is flexible, and the author's approach is tailored to their strengths and company needs.
The author encourages engineers to find their unique path in leadership without abandoning technical work.

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