How to Hire a CTO

How Do I Find a CTO?

If you aren’t prepared to be your own CTO and don’t have any business partners who are up for the task, then you’ll need to go on the journey of finding one on your own. Fortunately, the gig economy has a variety of freelancers who have experience in this domain.

One of the easiest places to find potential CTOs is through freelance platforms. One of these platforms, Toptal, advertises that it has the top 3% of all interim CTOs.  They also provide a long list of leading brands that use their services, and you’d be surprised to see some of the recognizable companies. These include AirBnB, Duolingo, and more. If it’s good enough for them, then it can be good enough for you!

How Do I Hire a CTO for Startup?

Hiring a CTO for a startup on a freelancing platform is no different than hiring any talent online. These platforms, which include our favorite, Toptal, and other respected sites like Fiverr, allow you to input all of your business needs so that you can find the perfect match.

Toptal will start by asking you about the background of your company. This includes the number of employees, budgets, and other important elements. After they take in the information they’ll start suggesting some freelancers. You can also say how long you’ll need somebody for, making it easier to find a temporary CTO or a long-term one.

When Should a Startup Hire a CTO?

Hiring a CTO can be expensive. Salaries for most CTOs can cost as little as $50,000 per year and can rise into the six figures. This means that not all startups are able to afford a CTO at the beginning of their journey. You won’t need to stress if you can’t afford one right away, because they aren’t always essential during the initial conception of your business.

It's recommended to outsource a CTO or hire a startup CTO once you enter the active development stage. This will allow them to oversee the development of the technical side of your business, ensuring that there aren’t any bumps later down the road.

Do I need a CTO?

People (or sasquatches) on a budget may be wondering if they even need to bother with a CTO. It is recommended that anyone wishing to have a successful startup takes on somebody in this role, otherwise you risk some big problems down the line.



If you’re hesitant to bring somebody in for such a big job, you can consider hiring a temporary CTO for the time being. Once you see how much work they’re putting in and how may benefits they bring to the company, you might rethink how long you’ll want them for!

How Long Does It Take to Hire a CTO?

It doesn’t need to take a long time to hire a CTO. In fact, it can take as little as a few weeks! Most of the talent on places like Toptal are able to start right away. You’ll want to look through your options and evaluate if they’re right for the company before you make anything official. This is what takes the longest amount of time. However, no matter how long it takes you can rest assured that you aren’t committing at a risk, because Toptal comes with a no-risk trial period before you have to be liable for any hefty payments.

Toptal is one of our go-to recommendations for learning how to hire a CTO. But businesses have a variety of different needs, and you might be looking for top talent for other tasks. Take a look at our guide on where to hire your freelancers for more information on obtaining workers!