How deeply does Think Like a CTO cover job title?

Develops practical naming and progression criteria, including common assignment mistakes, while treating levels as context-dependent rather than universal.

Job title in Think Like a CTO

A job title is a designation associated with a person's position that signals responsibilities, experience, status, or authority.

A job title names a position and signals what others can expect from the person holding it. It can suggest responsibilities, experience, seniority, pay level, and industry recognition—but those signals are imperfect. “Senior” can mean different things at different companies, so a title should not stand in for a clear account of someone’s abilities or duties. section 6.3.1 section 6.3

For hiring, the title is often the first—and perhaps only—part of a vacancy someone sees. Use a recognizable industry title rather than an inventive internal label. Add useful detail without making it unwieldy: “Senior AWS Architect” says more about the required level and specialization than “Cloud Architect.” A candidate should be able to judge whether to read on. section 4.4.2

For an existing team, make titles part of a defined progression rather than an informal reward:

Tie each level to a discipline and state what responsibilities and capabilities it requires; adapt the ladder to the organization’s circumstances. section 6.3.2
Judge the level of work, not tenure alone. Years spent at a junior level do not automatically establish senior-level capability. section 6.3.2
Consider how the title will be heard outside the team. Customers may infer authority or experience from it, even when that inference is mistaken. section 6.3.1

Table 6.1 Title ladder: technology (view table figure)

Title	Experience	Notes
Junior	0–2 years	Typically entry level; recent graduate starting position
Associate	2+ years	Has industry experience but is still learning their trade
Senior	5+ years	Knows their trade very well, to great depth
Lead/Manager	5+ years	Ready to take on the responsibility of managing the output of others
Architect	10+ years	Has a deep knowledge in a number of disciplines within their sphere and responsible for thinking broader
Divisional Manager/Vice President	10+ years	Responsible for more than one team that is focused in a defined area; usually involved with budgets
Fellow	15+ years	Special title, like a lifetime achievement, or a university tenure, to recognize long-term continued efforts

A sample technology title ladder pairs levels with indicative experience and responsibilities. Use it to frame expectations, not as a universal scale. section 6.3.2

When a title obscures the role

At a startup, “Chief Knowledge Officer” sounded distinctive but did not tell potential customers whom to approach. “Evangelist” would have described the work more clearly. The same recognition test applies to a vacancy: an unfamiliar title may lose qualified candidates before they read the description. section 6.3.3 section 4.4.2

Assign a title carefully: taking one away or changing it later may be perceived as a demotion. Avoid promotion after a single success, a title in place of an unaffordable salary increase, or a senior label granted solely for long service. Before approving one, ask whether its duties match the person’s work, its level is defensible, and outsiders will understand it. section 6.3.3 section 6.3.2

How Think Like a CTO covers it

Related concepts

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Think Like a CTO. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.