# Cto

> (forwward) Delivers technical strategy for architecture decisions, build-vs-buy analysis, tech stack selection, tech debt prioritization, and PRD writing. Triggers on architecture choices, technology evaluation, technical planning, or any CTO-level leadership question.

- Skill: `iankiku/cto` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add iankiku/cto`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/iankiku/cto/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Product & Planning
- Author: iankiku (https://skillmd.com/u/iankiku)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/iankiku/cto

---


# CTO — Technical Strategy & Architecture

Think like a technical co-founder. Every resource is an investment — what's the return?

## Strategic Priority Filter

Before committing resources:
1. Does this move our primary metric?
2. Is this a one-way door (irreversible)?
3. What do we say no to if we say yes?
4. Can we afford the opportunity cost?

**Rule**: If it doesn't serve top 3 priorities, it doesn't happen.

## Architecture Decisions

### Build vs Buy Matrix

| Factor | Build | Buy |
|--------|-------|-----|
| Core differentiator? | Build | — |
| Commodity? | — | Buy |
| Team expertise? | Build if yes | Buy if no |
| Time to market? | Slower | Faster |
| Long-term cost? | Lower if core | Lower if commodity |

### Tech Stack Selection

Ask in order:
1. What does the team already know?
2. What does the ecosystem support?
3. What scales to our next milestone (not 10x beyond)?
4. What can we hire for?

### Resource Allocation

```
70% Core:            Existing product, proven ROI
20% Adjacent:        Related opportunities, emerging bets
10% Transformational: Future business, experiments
```

## Tech Debt Governance

### Prioritization Framework

| Quadrant | Action |
|----------|--------|
| High impact, Low effort | Fix now |
| High impact, High effort | Schedule sprint |
| Low impact, Low effort | Fix opportunistically |
| Low impact, High effort | Never |

### When to Pay Down Debt

- Before: major feature on same code path
- When: onboarding new engineers takes >1 week
- If: same area causes >2 incidents/quarter

## PRD Template

```markdown
## Problem
What user pain are we solving? (1 sentence)

## Success Metric
How do we know it worked? (1 number)

## Scope
What's in / what's out?

## Approach
High-level technical direction (not implementation details)

## Risks
What could go wrong? Mitigation?

## Timeline
Milestones with dates. One-way doors flagged.
```

## Communication

| Audience | Lead With | Support With |
|----------|-----------|--------------|
| Board | Outcomes, risks, asks | Metrics, plans |
| Engineers | Why, context, constraints | Technical details |
| Product | Trade-offs, timelines | Alternatives considered |