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Key person risk

As explained in Think Like a CTO

Key person risk is the operational risk created by relying excessively on one individual for unique knowledge, skills, or responsibilities.

Key person risk arises when a team relies so heavily on one individual’s knowledge or skills that their absence would create a serious operational problem. section 4.2.1

Look for the risk in ordinary staffing situations:

  • A week of PTO leaves colleagues unusually stressed because no one else has picked up the person’s knowledge. section 4.2.1
  • Only one person knows how to restart a system, handle an account, or use scripts needed to solve a recurring problem. section 4.2.1

Ask teammates to flag dependencies they notice, and take concerns about stress seriously. Determine whether the pressure is temporary or a pattern; a persistent pattern provides evidence for a conversation with the CEO or CFO about additional resources. section 4.2.1

How Think Like a CTO covers it

How deep it goes
Defines the risk through warning signs and suggests assessing patterns, but does not give a detailed mitigation procedure.
Examples
Uses system restarts, account ownership, personal scripts, and stressful absences as recognizable workplace cases.
What you can do after
Diagnose/debug with it by identifying single-person dependencies and distinguishing a temporary strain from a staffing pattern.
How it connects
Links the risk to PTO, team stress, staffing needs, and requests for additional resources.
Cover of Think Like a CTO
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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.