The Startup CTO Guide: Key Functions in Today’s Tech Context

The CTO acts as a bridge between business vision and technology. Their main role is to design and implement the tech strategy aligned with the company’s goals, drive innovation, and guide the development team. In practice, the CTO must:

Define the tech strategy: create a long-term digital roadmap incorporating trends like AI and automation, aligned with the product vision.
Lead product development: coordinate MVP creation and new features, ensuring scalability and quality.
Evaluate emerging technologies: explore new tools (e.g., generative AI, process automation) to maintain competitive edge.
Manage teams and vendors: hire or choose reliable partners and foster a culture of innovation and collaboration.

At Nomu Labs, our Tech Consulting service supports this mission: identifying digitalization opportunities, defining roadmaps, and advising on key technologies.

Tech Strategy

Strategy defines what to build and why. The CTO translates business goals into concrete tech initiatives (platforms, APIs, integrations). Key points:

Roadmap and vision: align features and tools with product-market fit.
Continuous innovation: evaluate AI and automation for real value.
Efficiency and security: ensure scalable and safe infrastructure.

MVP Development and Fast Validation

The CTO focuses on building an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to test essential hypotheses quickly:

Define core features: only what’s needed to validate the idea.
Lean and fast development: launch in weeks, not months. With Nomu Labs’ “Kickstart” model, an MVP is built in ~4 weeks.
Validate with users: test with real customers, gather feedback and usage metrics.
Iterate with feedback: refine the product in two-week sprints.

Our Iterate & Iterate framework combines fast MVP launch with continuous feedback-driven improvements.

Vendor and Partner Management

Many non-technical founders outsource part of development. The CTO oversees vendor selection and management:

Partner selection: choose those with startup experience.
Clear agreements: scope, deadlines, and deliverables well-defined.
Ongoing supervision: monitor quality and ensure integration.

Sometimes, a CTO-as-a-Service is the right solution to add strategic vision without hiring a full-time profile.

Continuous Iteration with Feedback

Startups must iterate fast. The CTO sets short development cycles guided by metrics:

Track KPIs: usage, conversion, and retention.
Agile adjustments: prioritize data-driven changes.
Validate, don’t assume: decisions based on evidence, not intuition.

Tech Stack Selection

Choosing the right stack is critical to avoid technical debt. The CTO should:

Opt for proven solutions: frameworks, languages, and cloud services with strong support.
Consider available talent: ensure developers exist for that stack.
Think scalability: pick architectures that grow with users.

Emerging Technologies: Artificial Intelligence

AI is now a game-changer for startups. An effective CTO should:

Automate repetitive tasks with AI (chatbots, classification, workflows).
Personalize experiences through predictive analytics.
Build new products with AI at the core, like Nomu Labs’ Lens AI platform, which generated 67,000+ images and attracted 6,000 active users simultaneously.

Tech Consulting

Nomu Labs offers Tech Consulting to define digital strategies, identify automation opportunities, and maximize the value of AI.

Iterate & Iterate

Our Iterate & Iterate framework blends fast MVP launch with continuous improvement cycles. This reduces development time by 80% and delivers an MVP in just 28 days.

Success Stories

Nomu Labs examples:

Lens AI (AI-powered content creation): over 67,000 images generated, representing 5% of all Lens Protocol content within six months.
TROQ (Creative exchange platform): app for artists to trade work and services digitally, fostering collaborative communities.
ViveEspaña (EdTech): digital education platform optimized with Iterate & Iterate, connecting international students with Spanish universities.