Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile Storytelling from the Trenches

Episode: BONUS The Startup CTO's Handbook With Zach Goldberg
Host: Vasco Duarte
Guest: Zach Goldberg
Release Date: May 28, 2025

Introduction to Zach Goldberg

In this special CTO series episode, Vasco Duarte welcomes Zach Goldberg, a seasoned technical entrepreneur, executive coach, and author of The Startup CTO's Handbook. Zach brings a wealth of experience from his roles as a software engineer, CTO, and founder, as well as his dedication to inspiring youth in STEM through his nonprofit, Advance the World.

Why Zach Wrote The Startup CTO's Handbook

Zach shares the inspiration behind his book, emphasizing the gap he identified in resources tailored for CTOs. With a background in computer science and engineering, Zach transitioned into leadership roles where he realized that technical expertise alone wasn't sufficient.

“As a CTO, there's a set of skills that are generally applicable, sort of regardless of what your company is...”
— Zach Goldberg [02:24]

He noticed a lack of comprehensive guides addressing the non-technical aspects of being a CTO, such as leadership, management, and organizational skills. This realization led him to compile his experiences and insights into a structured handbook over two years.

Key Topics and Insights from the Handbook

1. Leadership and Hiring

Zach underscores the paramount importance of people in building a successful startup team. He stresses that the right team can significantly influence a company's trajectory.

“When you're a leader of a new team in a startup, the three most important things are the people, the people and the people.”
— Zach Goldberg [11:59]

He advocates for structured hiring frameworks to avoid bias and ensure consistency, moving beyond gut feelings to methodical evaluation criteria.

2. Investment in Technology

Balancing technological investment is crucial for startups striving to meet short-term goals without overcommitting resources.

“There's a minimum bar of the technology is good enough to help us meet these milestones...”
— Zach Goldberg [15:19]

Zach introduces the concept of finding a "Goldilocks sweet zone" where technology investments are neither excessive nor insufficient, ensuring agility and scalability.

3. Balancing Stakeholder Pressures

Navigating conflicting demands from various stakeholders requires strategic decision-making. Zach provides tips to CTOs on maintaining this balance:

• Don’t Treat Technology as a Religion: Evaluate tools based on business needs rather than personal preferences.

  “The boring answer is the right answer for the business.”
  — Zach Goldberg [16:09]

• Optimize for Velocity: Focus on input metrics that drive actual value delivery rather than superficial metrics like story points.

4. Defining and Optimizing Velocity

Zach redefines velocity not just as the number of tasks completed but as the speed at which value is delivered to customers.

“Whenever I use the word velocity, I'm not generally referring to how many story points... I'm referring to how quickly can you get something out the door for customers that's validated.”
— Zach Goldberg [20:15]

This perspective aligns development efforts with business objectives, ensuring that technical work translates into tangible customer benefits.

5. Professional Skill Development for CTOs

Using the Professional Skill Tree metaphor, Zach illustrates how CTOs can systematically develop the necessary skills for leadership:

“Every day you go to work, you are learning something, you're getting better at a certain type of skill...”
— Zach Goldberg [22:26]

He advises aspiring CTOs to consciously invest time in acquiring management and leadership skills, paralleling character progression in RPG games.

6. Managing Technical Debt and Continuous Improvement

Zach draws parallels between technical debt and financial debt, emphasizing the importance of managing it to maintain development velocity.

“Think of your technology the same way, you make some sort of decision that is a shortcut...”
— Zach Goldberg [30:21]

He advocates for a balanced approach to addressing technical debt, integrating continuous improvement (Kaizen) into the development process without derailing immediate progress.

7. Effective Communication and Audience Empathy

One of the most undervalued skills for tech leaders is audience empathy—tailoring communication to fit the audience's level of understanding and context.

“The single most valuable skill... is that of audience empathy.”
— Zach Goldberg [33:18]

Zach highlights the necessity of adjusting technical explanations for different stakeholders, ensuring clarity and alignment across the organization.

Conclusion and Resources

Vasco wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to explore The Startup CTO's Handbook, available on Amazon, as an audiobook, and on GitHub. Zach provides his contact information for further engagement:

• Website: ctohb.com
• Personal Site: zackgoldberg.com

Vasco also promotes the Scrum Master Toolbox Membership, offering access to a vast repository of agile content and a supportive community.

Notable Quotes:

• “When you're a leader of a new team in a startup, the three most important things are the people, the people and the people.”
  — Zach Goldberg [11:59]

• “The boring answer is the right answer for the business.”
  — Zach Goldberg [16:09]

• “Whenever I use the word velocity, I'm not generally referring to how many story points... I'm referring to how quickly can you get something out the door for customers that's validated.”
  — Zach Goldberg [20:15]

• “The single most valuable skill... is that of audience empathy.”
  — Zach Goldberg [33:18]

This episode offers invaluable insights for aspiring and current CTOs, blending practical advice with strategic thinking to navigate the complexities of technical leadership in startups.