Building Up Your Personal Brand

Contrary to common presumptions, building up your personal brand as a CTO is not just a nice-to-have, but a crucial element for your long-term success in the competitive technology industry. It goes beyond showcasing your technical skills and delves into the realm of becoming a recognized thought leader and influencer in your field. In this chapter, we will explore the key steps and strategies that can help you effectively build and enhance your personal brand as a CTO.

Defining Personal Brand

Your personal brand as a CTO encompasses the image and reputation you project to others, shaping how you are perceived based on your skills, knowledge, and personality. To build a strong personal brand, it is essential to define what you want to be known for by identifying your unique skills, qualities, and experiences.

As a CTO, start by recognizing your strengths and what sets you apart from other CTOs in the market. Determine your competitive advantage and core differentiator. Consider how you wish to be perceived, whether as a fair and just manager or a hands-on, tech-savvy CTO, and align your actions accordingly. This will aid in creating a clear, concise, and memorable personal brand statement that you can consistently use across all branding efforts, particularly in today’s digital age where your online presence is crucial.

Let’s take a look at a few examples. Werner Vogels, the CTO of Amazon Web Services, is renowned for his expertise in cloud computing. He is perceived as an innovator and thought leader in the industry. Vogels actively engages with his audience on social media, sharing his insights on technology and innovation. Megan Smith, the former CTO of the United States and a former VP at Google, is recognized for her proficiency in technology and social impact. She is regarded as a leader with a strong social conscience, passionate about leveraging technology to make a positive difference in the world.

These successful CTOs have effectively built their personal brands by identifying their unique strengths and qualities, crafting clear and concise personal brand statements, and establishing a robust online presence. They regularly engage with their followers, participate in industry events, and contribute to online forums to expand their networks and create new opportunities.

I am also dedicated to deliberately developing my personal brand. Of course, one of the reasons for writing this book is to demonstrate my commitment to continuous learning and my willingness to share the knowledge I have acquired. My desired reputation can be summed up in a simple statement:

“I’m not concerned about possessing extraordinary talents; I’m simply naturally curious and unafraid of making mistakes.”

This philosophy forms the foundation of my personal brand.

After describing yourself in this manner, it becomes easier to shape your personal brand accordingly. It is crucial to consider the message you want to convey to the outside world. Are you an innovator, a doer, or a follower? Be precise, be wise, and understand the expectations associated with your role. Assess your strengths and align your actions and communications accordingly to reinforce your personal brand.

Building Your Online Presence

If you can’t introduce yourself to the world, your personal brand has no value. Every post you make on social media, every video you like, and every blog post you write should align with your personal brand statement.

Why do we do this? It’s simple: as a person alone, a CTO doesn’t mean much. A company hires a top executive for the quality of the team they can build and their connections in the industry. Our technical skills are only a small part of what makes us who we are. You should be able to contact the right person to solve a problem with a phone call, or get people to line up with a tweet when you need to build a team.

Of course, it’s much easier said than done. A personal brand can never be created in a snap. You need to invest in this area for years and be consistent.

Consistency is definitely the most important aspect to consider when it comes to personal branding. For instance, I never share posts on my social media accounts that express my political views or philosophical beliefs. Such messages are inconsistent with the personal brand I want to establish. However, this is just my personal preference. If you are an activist who has adopted a certain mission, you may have a completely different approach. Regardless, consistency is key.

If you find yourself needing to share different types of messages frequently, you can limit the audience by creating a private profile or a profile with a different name.

To start, select the most suitable social media platform for your target audience and personality from the dozens and hundreds of options available, such as LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Quora, and more.

It’s not possible to be active on all platforms simultaneously, so I recommend choosing one primary platform and using it to the best of your ability while neglecting others. For example, I actively use Twitter, but I only consume content on Instagram and do not share anything. TikTok isn’t a suitable platform for reaching my target audience, so I have no interest in it. I create content on Quora, but only consume content on Reddit.

Each social media platform has its own toxic profiles who take pleasure in dragging others down. The more toxic they are towards your successes and shares, the better your personal brand is doing. Never engage in arguments with these profiles on social media, as it makes you vulnerable to mistakes. Instead, simply block and move on from them. They will never benefit you. People who follow them and believe in their words are likely not suitable for your target audience anyway.

Networking and Creating Opportunities

Building your personal brand requires effective networking and creating opportunities to showcase your expertise. One way to achieve this is by attending industry events, speaking at conferences, or actively participating in online forums.

However, it is crucial to strike a balance and avoid overexposure. While it’s beneficial to be accessible, it’s equally important to avoid oversharing content or overwhelming your audience. This principle applies not only to in-person interactions but also to your digital presences.

Personally, I limit my participation to a maximum of 2-3 significant events per year. I ensure that the topics I speak about align with my personal brand and expertise. If I lack experience in coding on a particular technology or haven’t worked on a specific project, I refrain from speaking about it. Occasionally, if I need to touch upon disciplines like marketing, finance, or sales, I make it clear that I am not an expert in those areas and acknowledge the possibility of error.

Establishing such a criteria for myself helps me carefully select the events I attend, which in turn helps me avoid situations where my reputation may be compromised.

While these principles may seem obvious, I have witnessed countless instances where renowned individuals speak on a matter about which they lack substantial knowledge. Such performances can ultimately do more harm than good to their personal brand.

At times, you may find it necessary to sponsor events to promote your company’s brand. In such cases, sponsorship packages may include opportunities for speaking engagements. As a CTO, being a keynote speaker can have a positive impact on your personal brand. However, when it comes to paying for stage time, it is advisable to delegate that responsibility to someone else.

Your conduct at networking events is of utmost importance. Unless you intentionally aim to project a different image, humility generally has a positive impact on your personal brand. People appreciate approachable and down-to-earth individuals who they can relate to. If you have established yourself as a technical expert in the industry, your humble character will resonate with others and strengthen their perception of you.

Remember, building a personal brand is a long-term process that requires consistency, authenticity, and strategic choices. By carefully navigating networking opportunities, being humble, and showcasing your expertise within your areas of strength, you can effectively build a personal brand that resonates with others and opens doors for professional growth.

To Sum Up

Personal branding is an often overlooked but equally important aspect. Technical success alone does not make you a thought leader. You may have noticed that some very successful engineers are often distant figures in the industry. This is not desirable. To avoid this, you should have a clear message that resonates with those around you.

Your target audience should clearly understand when you excel at something. Ideally, you should be the first person that comes to mind in such situations. Invest time in a specific topic until you are known as an expert. Attend events, pay for courses, write books, publish articles, and participate in podcasts to establish your expertise. Do whatever is necessary to achieve this goal.