Gone are the days when a CTO’s job was simply about keeping the lights on and fixing servers. In 2025, you’re not just a tech wizard—you’re a talent scout, a culture architect and a business growth driver.

No pressure, right?

Building a tech team for the future isn’t about waving a magic wand and hoping everything falls into place.

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” strategy, and there’s definitely no playbook handed to you at the CTO orientation. It’s about being strategic, adaptable and knowing when to throw out the old rulebook and rewrite your own.

So, let’s talk tactics, shall we?

Because if you’re still building a team based on “old school” methods, you’re setting yourself up for a messy future. We’re talking about creating a team that’s lean, agile and ready to tackle problems before they even emerge. 

1. Stop hiring for the perfect resume

Let’s start with the most obvious (but often ignored) truth: The “perfect resume” is a myth. Sure, that shiny LinkedIn profile looks amazing, and the buzzwords might impress the board, but the truth is—most of the time, it doesn’t matter. Resumes don’t show you who a person really is. They don’t show how they work under pressure, how they interact with a team or if they’re capable of thinking outside the box. And spoiler alert: your tech team doesn’t need robots; they need creative thinkers who can solve real problems.

This isn’t the corporate world of the 90s, where titles and accolades were everything. These days, the ability to adapt is way more valuable than a list of degrees and certifications. If someone’s resume is filled with projects that all look the same, it’s time to ask yourself, “What the hell did they actually do?”

You need people who can bring new ideas, people who can walk into a situation and pivot the hell out of it.

So, stop hiring for “perfect experience” and start hiring for potential. The candidates who are hungry to learn and willing to push boundaries? Those are the future stars of your team.

2. Hire the best, not the cheapest

We get it—you’re a startup, or you’re trying to keep things lean. The temptation to hire the “budget-friendly” candidate is strong. But hiring cheap talent is like buying a knockoff handbag. It looks good in theory, but you’ll regret it when the seams start falling apart, and your team is scrambling to fix problems they didn’t create.

It’s tempting to look for the low-hanging fruit—the candidate who’ll accept a lower salary, or who just wants a foot in the door. But you get what you pay for. Those cheap hires are going to slow you down. They’ll need more supervision, they’ll produce lower-quality work, and ultimately, you’ll end up having to redo everything they touch. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Instead, look for people who add value. Hire for skill, hire for creativity and hire for the ability to solve problems that you haven’t even thought of yet. Sure, it might cost a bit more, but in the long run, you’ll get more productivity, less turnover, and fewer headaches. Plus, your team will appreciate it when you actually invest in them.

3. It’s not just about technical ability

Culture add is an overused term in HR circles, but when it comes to building a successful tech team, it’s everything. Your team can have all the technical skills in the world, but if they can’t communicate, collaborate and vibe with the rest of your crew, your productivity is going to plummet faster than a poorly-coded app.

We know. You’ve got a massive to-do list, and you’re just trying to get the work done. But hiring people who mesh with your team dynamics is a tactical move that will save you so much time in the long run.

Hire the weirdos. No, seriously. We’re talking about the people who may not look great on paper, but bring a whole new perspective to your team. They might not fit the “perfect candidate” mold, but they’ll bring creativity, fresh ideas and a willingness to challenge the status quo. 

4. Build a remote team (but do it right)

Let’s address the elephant in the room: remote work. A lot of companies say they’re doing remote work, but when it comes to execution, they fall flat. Sure, the flexibility is great, but managing a remote team requires more than just “Zoom calls” and Slack messages. You’ve got to make sure your team is equipped to thrive outside of an office.

Building a remote team is about setting expectations, providing the right tools and trusting your people to deliver results. It’s not about checking in on them every five minutes. It’s about empowering them to take ownership of their work while giving them the autonomy they need to get the job done.

Also, if you’re still limiting yourself to hiring from within a 50-mile radius, stop. There’s an entire world of talent out there waiting for you. The best part? You don’t need to worry about office politics or your space being filled with an endless stream of mediocre meetings.

5. Drop the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality

You know that manager who still insists on sending memos instead of Slack messages, or the CTO who still swears by his trusty old legacy system, even though it’s slowly eating the company alive? Yeah, don’t be that person. If you want to build a team for the future, you’ve got to be willing to evolve.

The best teams are the ones that innovate—not just the ones that execute. They’re the ones that challenge the norm and build a culture that says, “If this can be improved, it will be improved.” Hiring the right people who are comfortable with change and who have a track record of shaking things up is a key part of creating a future-proof team. Consider the fractional route. If you’re stuck in your ways, you’ll end up with a team full of yes-men (or yes-women), which leads to stagnation.

A team that can’t change with the times is a team that’s already on the path to extinction. And your job as the CTO? Making sure that doesn’t happen. So, hire people who embrace change, who challenge their own thinking and who bring fresh perspectives to the table.

6. Use data to hire smarter, but don’t depend on it

Data is great. Metrics, KPIs and analytics can help you make decisions that are based on cold, hard facts. But data doesn’t capture everything. It doesn’t capture personality. It doesn’t capture the feeling you get when someone walks into a room and lights it up with their energy.

While you should absolutely be using data to optimize your hiring process, don’t let it become the only thing you rely on. Use your instincts, your gut and the feedback from your team. Sometimes, a candidate who doesn’t check all the boxes might turn out to be the best hire you’ve ever made.

So, yes—use data to avoid bias, streamline the process and measure performance. But also remember that people are complex, dynamic beings who can’t always be quantified by a spreadsheet. 

7. Grow your team like you’d grow your startup: Lean, fast and agile

Think about the early days of your startup. You probably started with a handful of people, each wearing multiple hats. It was chaotic, but it worked. The future of scaling your team isn’t about adding a ton of layers, committees or management structures. It’s about staying lean, fast and agile.

If you’re scaling to a point where you feel like you need to add layers of bureaucracy, stop. It’s a trap. Keep your team flat, your decision-making fast and your communication direct. The more layers you add, the more you dilute the team’s ability to move quickly. Keep it lean, and your team will stay adaptable.

Scaling for the future isn’t magic—it’s strategy

Building a tech team for the future isn’t about following a one-size-fits-all guide. It’s about being strategic, flexible and forward-thinking. The best teams aren’t the biggest—they’re the smartest. So, stop trying to add an army of developers and start thinking about how to maximize the talent you already have. Hire for culture, hire for adaptability and hire for the future, not the past.

Remember, the future of tech isn’t about having more people. It’s about having the right people—people who can help you stay ahead of the curve, not just ride it.