The One Thing Fractional CTOs Should Never Delegate

Hey ,

What's the most important responsibility of a Fractional CTO?

Think it’s writing code or fixing bugs?

The truth is, the single most valuable thing you can do as a fractional leader is to provide strategic direction and oversight. In other words: to lead.

At CTOx, we have a saying: "Delegate everything except leadership." 

What does that mean in practice? It means your primary focus should be on four key areas:

• Strategy: Defining the overarching technology vision and roadmap

• Delegation: Assigning the right work to the right people

• Hiring: Building a high-performing team with complementary skills

• Management: Providing guidance, removing blockers, and keeping everyone aligned

Notice what's not on that list? Actual hands-on development work.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "But Lior, if I'm not in the weeds writing code, how can I be sure things are getting done right?"

Here's the thing: as a fractional leader, your value isn't in your individual contributions. It's in your ability to set the direction, architect the systems, and empower your team to execute.

Think about it this way: a conductor doesn't play every instrument in the orchestra. Their job is to ensure each musician is playing their part, in harmony, to bring the overall vision to life.

The same is true for you as a Fractional CTO. By focusing on leadership and delegating the hands-on work, you're able to have a much bigger impact than you could by trying to do everything yourself.

Plus, there's a selfish benefit: by not getting bogged down in the day-to-day, you free up your time and mental energy to take on more clients and scale your impact (and your income).

So the next time you're tempted to dive into the codebase, remember: your greatest value is in leading, not doing. Delegate the rest, and watch your effectiveness (and your business) soar.

Cheering you on,
Lior

Lior Weinstein
Founder & Head Coach, CTOx