When starting a new role as a tech executive, it is common to feel slightly disoriented at first. That’s because, in most startups, you’re not going through a ready-made orientation process. More often than not, you have to carve your own path forward without a lot of guidance.
Having aided many CTOs and VPs of Engineering during their onboarding, I have thoughts about this. Your personal onboarding can feel overwhelming, especially when you are taking over an organization that is already up and running. However, once you acknowledge that you are supposed to take charge and organize this for yourself, you should already be better off. Remember, you have agency here.