The Most Important Role In Your Startup in 2026: CPTO, not CTO

I've recruited several CTOs for European and UAE startups. I've also coached dozens of CTOs and VPs on their career change through CareerCrackers. What I keep seeing: startups are obsessed with hiring a CTO.

The market has changed.

AI Handles What CTOs Used to Own

AI can help with code architecture, technology decisions, and, of course, coding. We've reached the point where kids can ship revenue in weeks with the same tools your team has. Some CTOs have already made AI adoption mandatory in engineering. When engineers who multiply with AI outperform those who don't, the bottleneck shifts.

It's no longer "can we build?" It's "can we bring an idea to market?"

The Right Questions for 2026

Instead of polishing code and scaling engineering, startups should ask:

• How do we build an MVP with AI that starts generating revenues next quarter?
• How do we adjust the product to help us understand our ICP better?

That's product development. That's go-to-market. That's the domain of a CPTO, not a pure CTO.

CPTO vs CTO

A CTO focuses on engineering and technology. A CPTO (Chief Product Technology Officer) spans product development, go-to-market, and technology. For early-stage startups in 2026, the CPTO role is more important than the CTO role.

If you can afford both a CPO and a CTO, great. If you cannot afford both, you need someone who bridges product and engineering.

The Invitation

If that's you, bring me on board. I'll help you bridge product and engineering so you can get an MVP to market and learn from your ICP instead of over-investing in build capability.